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Sourav Ganguly returns to competitive cricket

     Rajkot: Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday returned to competitive cricket when he led East Zone against North Zone in Duleep Trophy match being played here. In the match, which is being considered crucial for Ganguly from the point of veiw of his comeback in the national squad, Ganguly took two wickets and remained unbeaten on 19 at the close of day one of the four-day match. Ganguly's form in the domestic tournament would allow the board to assess his recovery from the minor elbow injury. Meanwhile, his presence in the match has generated enough interest amongst the residents of Rajkot who came in large numbers to watch the game. "The presence of Ganguly in this match is getting a lot of attention as this match would decide whether he will come back in the national team or not. He is one of the star crickets in the country. People like to come and watch him play. Hence, it has created a lot of interest amongst the Rajkot spectators," said Niranjan Shah, Secretary, Saurashtra Cricket Association. The southpaw had first complained of pain in his right elbow during India's recent tour to Zimbabwe, and after a check up, Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) medical panel chief Dr Anant Joshi had reported him of having mild tennis elbow injury. Earlier this week, board official said the team's physio and doctor found Ganguly fit after taking 10 day's rest as advised by them. However, he did not find a place in the 15-member squad for the first two games of a seven match home one-day series against Sri Lanka beginning October 25. The 33-year-old Ganguly, who took over as skipper in 2000, is credited with moulding the side into a fighting unit, particularly backing youngsters such as Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag who faced problems early in their careers. However, the position of Ganguly, India's most successful captain with 21 test victories became shaky because of his prolonged batting slump and a recent public disagreement with coach Greg Chappell.