Kolkata:
Sourav Ganguly has said that India could have won the first match against Sri Lanka in the Indian Oil Cup cricket triseries if the batsmen had scored a few more runs. However, he refused to attach much significance to India's defeat in the lung opener, saying it was only the first match of the season. "It was a close match. It would have been good if we had a few more runs on the board," Ganguly told newspersons at his residence before leaving for Chennai en route to Sri Lanka. "But it was only the first match of the season and we still have three matches left," he said. Ganguly would join his teammates in Dambulla today ahead of the third group league match against Sri Lanka on August 3. Ganguly said he was happy to be back in action after a three-month lay-off. "It's a great feeling that I am back into the game."Fine captaincy He also praised Rahul Dravid for his fine captaincy in the first match and reiterated that he had no problem playing under him. "Yesterday I was the skipper, today Rahul has taken my place, tomorrow someone else may lead India. That's very natural. There is no problem there," he said. The dashing left hander also lauded the performance of rookie Y Venugopala Rao in the first match. "He played well. Slowly but surely he will shape up as a fine player." Ganguly, included as the 16th member of the team, became eligible to play for India from the third match of the tournament after ICC-appointed arbitrator Justice Albie Sachs reduced the six-ODI suspension slapped on him to four matches. Ganguly was punished by match referee Chris Broad for the Indian team's slow over rate in an ODI against Pakistan at Ahmedabad in April. He missed the last two ODIs against Pakistan and also had to sit out of the first two games of the triseries due to the ban. If Ganguly is selected in the final XI for the Indian Oil Cup series, this would be the first instance in five years that he would be playing as only a player and not as captain. The BCCI had opted for Dravid as captain for the triseries as Sachs was yet to give his verdict on the ban related dispute when the selectors picked the team on July 18. (PTI)
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