Hope to end Bengal`s final jinx tomorrow: Ganguly

New Delhi: It might seem strange but Sourav Ganguly, in his first-class career spanning over two decades, has never led his state side to any championship final, but he would like to end Bengal`s `final jinx` when they take on Mumbai at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

"I have played so many years for Bengal but this is the first time I am leading the side for a full season. We have been playing well and would like to continue the good work," Ganguly said after a 90-minute net-session at the Kotla. Ganguly was part of one of the three one-day finals that Bengal lost and when reminded, he said, "We would like to change that tomorrow". Incidentally, Ganguly has played two Ranji Trophy finals against Mumbai (1993-94, 2006-07) having scored 88 and 90, but ended on the losing side on both occasions. "Mumbai are a very strong side and you need to play really well to beat them. They have top class batsman in Wasim Jaffer and I don`t know why he isn`t playing for India. Ajinkya Rahane is a current India player and you have a bowler like Ajit (Agarkar)." Asked whether the absence of Manoj Tiwary and Ashok Dinda would hurt Bengal`s chances, Ganguly smiled and said,"Mumbai doesn`t have Sachin Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan and Rohit Sharma playing for them! You have got to play with what you have." Toss has proved to be a crucial factor in a few matches at the Kotla but Ganguly felt that would be of little significance. "Agreed that toss had been a factor in a couple of earlier matches but yesterday Mumbai scored nearly 300. I will only have a look at the pitch tomorrow morning." One of the Bengal openers, Jayojit Basu`s father expired on Saturday. The player who left for Kolkata yesterday evening is back but Ganguly doesn`t want to push the youngster in his hour of crisis. "It will entirely be Jayojit`s call whether he wants to play or not. He has just lost his father and only if he feels that he is in a frame of mind to play, he would play." PTI