Judgment Day would never have been as anxious as the next few hours would be for former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.

By Rajarshi Gupta

It is almost festival spirit in Kolkata, where one of India's batting legends and the country's most successful captain would be closely monitoring every move the new senior selectors make as they assemble for their first meeting.

It sure is judgement day for Dada. Even as cricket fans round the country draw their conclusions on what fate the Iron Man of Indian cricket deserves, sources in the BCCI have revealed that the selectors might offer Ganguly a chance to make an honourable exit after 12 years of breathtaking batting.

It was an English summer in the glorious year of 1996 when a wide eyed 24 year old from the eastern Indian city of Kolkata strode into the hallowed premises of the Lord's to face up to an English attack, brimming with confidence.

By the time, Ganguly was done, he walked back to ruptorous applause, having torn the attack to shreds and rattling off a century on debut. He followed it up with another one in Trent Bridge. That had marked the beginning of a golden era for Indian batting.

Five years down the line, Ganguly was to take charge as India's skipper after the Sachin Tendulkar led side returned bruised and battered from Australia. The changes were immediate.

The team rallied around their leader, played for him and looked up to a man who had been through it all. The man had a mission.

Ganguly led India to two Champions Trophy finals, the World Cup finals, thrashed Australian 2-1 at home, drew a four Test series in Australia and all along his bat blazed like a gun loaded to boom.

It took him just one man to spell doom on an illustrious career. Greg Chappell and he were never destined to be in love and the spills and spoils continued till the Indian was made to bite dust, well almost.

Out for almost a year, Ganguly made a comeback in the winter of 2006 in South Africa and did he live it up. He was India's highest run getter in Tests last year and also blasted the red leather consistently in ODI's.

However, as has been the unfortunate trend with Dada, it took him just one bad series against Sri Lanka to bring his place under the scanner again. He flopped in Sri Lanka as did the other three in the Fab Four. And today, Ganguly is back up in his sprawling Behala residence, wondering what else did he not do to not have to go through this anxiety?

But then is the design of judgement day for all legends. The king of comebacks is building it all up. If he is picked up, if only he is, his country men might get to see the exotic.