Rahul switches from 5 to 19 for better luck

MUMBAI: Sportsmen are generally a superstitious tribe. More so, the cricketers. Numerology has held great fascination for Indians and ever since skipper Sourav Ganguly’s tryst with jersey No. 24 (from No. 99) at the 2003 World Cup, on the advice of famous numerologist Sanjay B Jumaani, more members of Team India are trying various, supposedly, lucky combinations.
Vice-captain Rahul Dravid is the latest player in the numbers game and on Jumaani’s advice is trying his luck out with shirt No. 19 (earlier No. 5). Dravid was wearing the new number in the warm-up match against Pakistan ‘A’ on Thursday. And considering his spectacular 69-ball unbeaten 92, he would surely be encouraged to keep the number.
Speaking about his first benefactor in the Indian team — Ganguly, star spellcrafter Jumaani says that the Indian captain was going through a horrible phase at the start of the World Cup when he tried his advice of donning no. 24. The change in fortune was instantaneous. Ganguly first wore the number in India’s fourth match of the Cup against Namibia.
He scored an unbeaten 112 at Pietermaritzburg and India won by 181 runs. Other players advised to change numbers by Jumaani are Mohd Kaif (42 or 46) and Parthiv Patel (15).