Ganguly's absence helped Pakistan: Inzamam

While the opinion in India is divided on whether skipper Sourav Ganguly should have played the last two one-dayers, Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq feels that his absence worked in favour of the visitors.

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The Indian captain, who was banned for six One-Day Internationals after the fourth match in Ahmedabad for the team's slow overrate, was not included in the squad for the last two ties at Kanpur and Delhi despite being cleared by the International Cricket Council, pending his appeal against the ban.

The Indian selectors did not call up Ganguly for the Kanpur match saying there was little time to change the combination and then ignored him for the decider in Delhi, making it obvious they were not happy with his batting form.

Pakistan went on to win the two matches with ease to clinch the six-match series 4-2.

Inzamam also rated Ganguly very high as a captain.

Asked to compare Ganguly and Rahul Dravid as captains, Inzamam said that Ganguly was definitely a better skipper.

"He (Ganguly) has been leading their team for the last five years and he knows each and every player. He is very accomplished at knowing how to utilise each player in his playing eleven," Inzamam said.

Inzamam also recalled the final over he faced from Tendulkar in Ahmedabad with Pakistan requiring three runs for a win.

"Honestly speaking I was under a lot of pressure when we needed to score one run off the final ball. I just kept on reciting Darud Sharif and hoped for the best. Because I realised then if I did not get the run what would be the reaction back home," he recounted.