Ganguly professed his respect for Chappell

Deposing before the review committee on Tuesday, Sourav Ganguly professed his respect for Greg Chappell and pledged to play under him. According to a BCCI source, it was one of the key moments of a drawn-out drama that finally ended in compromise, with both men asked to work together for the betterment of Indian cricket.

With the Indian board having a gag order in place, none of the cast involved was willing to talk on record, though Ganguly himself told reporters in Kolkata that he was looking forward to "some rest". However, a member of the review committee told the Press Trust of India: "Indian cricket has reasons to be pleased with the outcome. Unfortunately, the media has missed the bigger picture and worked itself into a frenzy over the Sourav vs Greg theme".

The committee has neither worked out a compromise nor made Chappell's position untenable, the member has claimed. "It's rubbish to believe that Chappell is quitting. It is also absolutely wide off the mark to believe that Ganguly has gained ground and Chappell has been slighted," he added. It was also stressed that if the committee had made public its disposition either in favour of Ganguly or Chappell, "the next few weeks would have whipped up extreme public reactions in favour or against the two gentlemen and it would have meant disastrous preparation ahead of the visit by the Sri Lankan team."

The contents of Chappell's contentious e-mail have clearly not been forgotten though. According to the source: "As things stand today, the ball is in Ganguly's court. He would be under pressure to perform in the next two series. If he does well, Indian cricket will move forward. If he fails, even then a new chapter in Indian cricket will take place."

Ganguly is conscious that the accusations by Chappell are still in the public domain, and every action of his would now be minutely observed. The next few series are in India which would imply that he can't escape the glaring spotlight, observed the source. It was learnt that the only time Chappell was caught off-guard during the meeting was when Ganguly brandished two e-mails which the coach had written to journalists in which he had portrayed a poor picture of the Indian captain.

One of the other significant issues discussed at the meeting was the possibility of the Indian team having separate Test and one-day captains. An eye was also cast at the five-member selection committee as it exists today. According to the source: "These are peripheral issues at best. Much of it will also depend on which way the board's elections shape up."

Meanwhile, it was also revealed that Chappell had received an important "thumbs up" for his man-management skills from an official who toured with the Indian team in Sri Lanka in July-August. "It is distressing to see that Chappell is being portrayed as some kind of control-freak in relations to team members. From my Sri Lanka experience, I can safely say that he was most open and honest with team members and encouraged everyone to speak up their minds.

"He has been encouraging everyone to develop their own rationale. It's just not six-hat theory and all. I find it amazing when I read that he is stifling to others because my observation was exactly the opposite."

Ganguly has made known his intention to play in the Challenger Series, scheduled for Mohali between October 10 and 14. Interestingly, Chappell has also expressed his desire to watch the proceedings from the sidelines. The Irani Trophy, the curtain-raiser for the domestic season, is to be played in New Delhi from October 1 to 5, but neither Ganguly nor Chappell is likely to be seen there.