One more chance for Sourav Ganguly. The selectors, by retaining him as captain for the forthcoming series against Zimbabwe, have given him one final opportunity to redeem himself. Not as captain, but as batsman. If there is any reason the captaincy was even discussed – and the names of Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble were talked about as alternatives – it was Ganguly's form with the bat. His captaincy has not been spectacular, but he has brought to the table what his predecessors could not: an aggressive give-as-good-as-you-get attitude in the field and a belief in the younger members of the team that makes him an inspirational presence for them.

Against this, there is not much he has done wrong. The problems that plague Indian cricket are endemic, and it is naïve to blame every disaster on the captain. Dravid had taken over the reins from an indisposed Ganguly for the unofficial third Test against South Africa at Centurion, and the team collapsed to defeat more pathetically than before, if that were possible.

It's Ganguly's batting, against the pacier short-pitched stuff in particular, that has got him into trouble. If Andy Flintoff could terrorise him in India, the chances are that Heath Streak and Brighton Watambwa will be a handful as well. Not to mention Merv Dillon and co. in the following tour to the West Indies - if Ganguly lasts that long. He's had enough time to work on it, and this is the last chance he will get.

His retention raises a lot of other selection issues, most notably the thorny one of his state-mate, Deep Dasgupta, and of SS Das's opening partner. Dasgupta was expected to get the axe for his horrid wicketkeeping, with Ajay Ratra taking his place. If Ganguly had been dropped, there were two possible scenarios that could have taken place. One, Ratra could have replaced Ganguly in the XI and kept wicket, with Dasgupta staying on as a specialist opener. Two, Ratra could have replaced Dasgupta, and a specialist opener – Connor Williams or Wasim Jaffer – could have taken Ganguly's place.

Now, with Captain Ganguly guaranteed a place in the team, who will open for India? If Dasgupta continues opening as a specialist batsman, who does Ratra displace? If Ratra comes in for Dasgupta, who opens the batting? Surely a makeshift opener will not be tried out again. In which case, if a specialist comes in, who goes out? Virender Sehwag or VVS Laxman are the two candidates, and it would be a travesty if either of them were to be dropped. And while a makeshift solution might work against Zimbabwe at home, it will surely fall apart in the West Indies.

Clearly, Mr Borde and the other selectors still have a lot to discuss.

Amit Varma is assistant editor of Wisden.com India.

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