Wellington, Jan 07: New Zealand media have been scathing in their condemnation of Indian cricketers after the team's capitulation in the seven match One-day series, which goes into the 5th tie Wednesday with India 4-0 down. Writing in Auckland's New Zealand Herald, cricket correspondent Richard Boock said it was time Sourav Ganguly took a leaf out of Antarctic explorer Captain Oates' book and considered "taking a long walk in the cold".

"The Indian skipper has been missing in action so often on this tour, that it would hardly be a major blow if he sat out the Wellington match, if only to give his team mates a break," Boock wrote. He said that if Ganguly was a man of impressive influence, able to inspire despite his own lean form, there would be a strong case for retaining him.
"If he was a shrewd old fox capable of pulling strings in the field or reading the New Zealand tactics and manufacturing counter strategies, there would again be some sense in leaving him at the helm. "But Ganguly appears to be a player who relies on his own considerable genius to change the game single-handedly and never really has to think much about the team." Bureau Report