For Javagal Srinath, a chance to play in the World Cup -- his fourth in succession -- is the fulfilment of a deep desire for which he is grateful to skipper Sourav Ganguly.
Srinath, who announced his retirement from Test cricket after the tour of West Indies last year, was left out of the one-day team before being recalled in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka on Ganguly's insistence.
And Ganguly's trust was not misplaced. Srinath was India's best bowler in New Zealand and has carried the same form in the ongoing World Cup.
"It was a call that I wanted [to hear]. It was good of my captain to call me back," Srinath said ahead of India's Group A league match against Namibia in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.
"I was very specific about my desire to play in this World Cup."
Srinath was quite satisfied with his performance but said his batting needed some improvement.
"I am getting my line and length right. There comes a time when experience becomes confidence. That probably helps you in keeping your minds steady," he said.
"[But] I need to give more thought to my batting before it is too late. My batting against West Indies [at home] cannot be taken too seriously."
