The endearing smile Sourav Ganguly wears when he is at peace with himself and the world at large was conspicuous by its absence on Tuesday. Quite obviously, the former skipper has taken his somewhat unexpected omission from the tri-series squad quite badly. More than 24 hours after the squad was named, he was struggling to come to terms with the fact that the final Test at the Adelaide Oval from Thursday will most likely be his last outing on Australian soil.

Even at practice, anything less than total focus is a definite no-no. Ganguly paid for wavering concentration with an extremely ordinary stint at nets, struggling to put a confident bat to ball as he was worked over by Irfan Pathan, Pankaj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, apart from a few net bowlers got up by the South Australian Cricket Association.

Frustration
There was a brief period — all too brief, actually — when Ganguly appeared to have laid the demons to rest. Before and after that, it was clear that he was better off not having a net at all. Initially, frustration marked his every move as his timing deserted him, the feet remained static, the body refusing to do an uncertain mind's bidding; gradually, anger took over as he swished his bat over the stumps, then picked up a ball and banged it into the turf.

Most other seniors in the side were doing their own thing at the three other nets, but Ganguly's fight with himself and his predicament wasn't lost on consultant Gary Kirsten. The left-handed opener tried to talk the Kolkatan out of his 'discriminated against' mindset, but without success. Wisely, Kirsten chose not to press the issue, perhaps realising that when he introspects, Ganguly himself will understand the futility of not channelising his sense of outrage.

The best method Ganguly can embrace to make his forceful point is by contributing handsomely with the bat in Adelaide, like he has done since his return to the Test fold in December 2006. Particularly with India seriously contemplating fielding five bowlers in a bid to at once play to their strengths and enhance the possibilities of rolling over the Australians twice, Anil Kumble can ill afford to have Ganguly sulking and stung.

Having conjured a memorable win at the WACA last week, India have given themselves an outstanding opportunity to square the series at the same venue where, four years back, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman forged a 300-run partnership and Ajit Agarkar took six wickets to stop Australia in their tracks. The Adelaide Oval strip has traditionally started off as a wonderful batting strip that then assists spinners through days four and five.

India will therefore entertain thoughts of returning Harbhajan Singh back into the eleven. For that to transpire, Wasim Jaffer will have to sit out, forcing one of Irfan Pathan or Dravid to move up to open the batting with Virender Sehwag. Alternately, Dinesh Kaarthick might replace Jaffer in the only change to the Perth eleven.

There is no guarantee India will go in with five bowlers, though as recently as in Bangladesh last May, apart from in Mohali and Mumbai against England in March 2006, they have been emboldened to enter a Test a batsman short. Irrespective of, Ganguly must fire on all cylinders as India seek a fairytale ending to the Test series.

Vital cog
His twin failures in Perth notwithstanding, Ganguly has been one of the vital cogs in the Indian batting wheel in the last 13 months. Since flying out dramatically to Johannesburg in late 2006, the fluent left-hander has scored 1335 runs in 14 Tests at an average of 53.40, well above his career average in the mid-40s, and has made three hundreds and seven fifties. Just four Tests back, he registered his Test best 239 against Pakistan in Bangalore, feeding off the hunger sparked by being out of international cricket for ten months in 2006.

More impressive than the numbers has been the manner in which Ganguly has batted; flair, assurance and authority have marked his every second at the batting crease, and consequently, Ganguly himself and India have immensely benefited. India need the determined, point-to-prove Ganguly to surface at the Oval; with the series on the line, the eternal Indian rubber man couldn't have asked for a better setting for his Aussie hurrah.