Ganguly on his golden year and more

'I always believed I had it in me to play'

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There's a steaming mug of tea in his hand when he opens the door of his suite to let me in. "Shall I make you a cup?" he offers. "Or perhaps you'd prefer Coke or Pepsi?" I turn them all down, firmly but politely, for I'm nervous and can't think of anything but the questions I have for Sourav Ganguly, in this much-postponed interview that's finally arrived. I've rehearsed my questions but immediately make a nervous mistake: "So, 100 Tests must be special for you. You've seen Sachin, Rahul and Sourav reach the milestone ..."

I'm nervous because I sit before a Ganguly who I, like many others, had sat in judgment of not long ago, and pronounced his career finished. Now Ganguly Mark II is on the verge of playing his 100th Test, and has been India's best batsman in the year gone by. But he puts me at ease, at once disarmingly warm and polite, asking about my career and family. Once I begin to ask questions, and he to answer, it all becomes simple once more. Because he's not expecting an apology. He has been the same person, through different phases of batting; in some ways he's been through it all. And yet, he wants to see more.

More where those came from: Ganguly acknowledges the cheers for his 239 against Pakistan at Bangalore © AFP

Does 100 Tests mean a lot to you? You've seen Sachin, Rahul and Anil reach this milestone already.
Yeah, it does. It's a huge milestone for any cricketer, and not many in Indian cricket have achieved it. Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev, and among the current lot Anil [Kumble], Sachin [Tendulkar] and Rahul [Dravid]. So it will be good to join that club.

Among the names you have mentioned in the current crop, you've had a rougher ride than the others. So in some way do you look at it as a journey against the odds? Someone from Bengal playing 100 Tests ...
We as a state have not produced many big players. But I hope in the future we start doing that, because places like Bombay and Karnataka and Delhi have produced Test players one after the other. In a state where cricket is so well-loved, it's important that we keep producing players who turn up and play for India.

Let's just divide your career into a few phases. First there's 1992 to 1996, when you played one game and then were dropped, then 1996 when you made your Test debut and went on till 2000, then captaincy from 2000 to 2005, and finally 2005 to now. Talk us through the many ages of Ganguly.
In 1992 I was pretty young. I went to Australia, hardly got to play any cricket, just played one one-day international and then got left out. I played domestic cricket for four years. I was young then and it didn't matter a lot to me then, being left out. Then I came back in 1996 and obviously had a good start to my Test career and then played on. In 2000 I became captain and stayed till 2005, and this was a very successful time in Indian cricket, so it was a satisfying tenure for me. I was left out again in 2005. [I'm] happy to be back and performing as I have been since I made my comeback.

Do you think captaincy came to you a bit early?
Yes. I was just five seasons old in international cricket. Sachin didn't want to lead the side after that Australia series [1999-2000] and I was the vice-captain then. I was a certainty in both forms of the game, so from that point of view I was the choice. But in terms of the number of years I had played for India, it was a bit early.

You took over at a tough time, at the end of match-fixing. You pledged on TV that your team was clean and would continue to be clean. Was that a tough time to take charge?
Yes it was. It surprised me at that stage because I was not even aware that these things could actually happen. For those reasons we got a crop of young players. Yuvraj [Singh], Zaheer [Khan] came into the scene in 2000. There were only four seniors in the side in me, Sachin, Rahul and Anil. To build a team helped us. Players like [Virender] Sehwag, Harbhajan [Singh], Ashish Nehra did the job in one-day cricket. And the benefits are being reaped now. These guys have since become match-winners.

You've spoken a bit about youngsters coming through in that period. But the batting also did well; the results were strong. Against Australia, the best team in the world, India won at home and drew away. Was that a golden age for Indian cricket?
Yes, of course. And we beat Pakistan in Pakistan after 50 years and we went to the World Cup final. We played two mini-World Cup finals in that time. People like Sachin, Rahul, [VVS] Laxman and Sehwag were batting at their best. That probably helped the team.

	"In 1992 I was a young boy, 18 or 19, and it didn't matter to me. I was happy playing for Bengal and just playing first-class cricket. At that age you don't worry about anything. When I lost my place in the side in 2005, it was different "

Your leadership played a big role in this. Especially what you did with the younger players. What did you do differently?
I just set them free. As a captain I had certain ideas - which I see pretty much in Kumble now. I was a firm believer that every cricketer needs to get a fair chance. I had decided that I was going to take the pressure off the players and let them play freely. Which really helped them do justice to their talent. At the same time I had Rahul, Sachin, Anil and Laxman, who themselves were playing outstanding cricket.

What you brought to the team and what you are are different things. You're a polite, mild-mannered person but your team was rough and ready for a scrap.
I realised that we played well when we were aggressive. When we took the foot off the accelerator, we were a completely different team. We needed to get the team charged up and we got results against Australia in 2001. They came here ... Steve Waugh had won everywhere but here [in India]. He was putting pressure on the team and we were a young side and they knew they were the top team. The only way we could have done well against them was by being aggressive.

One of the things that was always spoken of in Indian cricket was regionalism. But your reign as captain saw an end to that, to a large extent.
To be honest, when I played cricket even before I was captain, I didn't notice much. Maybe I was too young to do that. When I became captain my entire responsibility was to pick the best possible 15 for India. I wanted to do that and I had no pressures from anywhere to pick someone or drop someone. I made it pretty clear that if I'm captain, the best team has to play.

Another important thing that happened at the time was the appointment of India's first foreign coach. You had your differences with John Wright, but in hindsight, and especially in the light of what followed, it was a very healthy working relationship, wasn't it?
We worked very well. We had mutual respect for each other. There will be differences in opinion. He'll have an opinion on something and I'll try and give my side of the story. At the end of the day, I always feel it's the captain that counts. Because I have to take decisions in the middle.

John was a fantastic person. He was responsible in changing the outlook of Indian cricket. He made the boys realise that winning overseas is important, and that it was not just about winning at home. He was responsible in getting Harbhajan to bowl the way he did against Australia in 2001.

Towards the end of your tenure you seemed to be weighed down by it all, especially when your own batting form dipped. Would you agree with that assessment?
When you don't perform well as captain, in any country, and particularly in the subcontinent, you will have pressures. Probably it's a coincidence that in the last phase of my captaincy I didn't perform well with the bat. But during my entire tenure I tried to keep captaincy and batting separate. When I went out to bat I never thought I was captain. Even when I did not score with the bat, I knew I had to take decisions on the field that would make the team win. In the later stages it was just a coincidence that I lost the captaincy when my batting form was not good.

With John Wright at Trent Bridge in 2002: 'We worked very well. We had mutual respect for each other' © Getty Images

Wright has since admitted that he probably stayed on longer than he should have. Do you think maybe there was a similar situation with you and the captaincy?
No, I don't think so. John wanted to go after the Pakistan series [in 2003-04]. But that had a lot more to do with family reasons than cricket. He had two young children, and to be honest, he had been away from New Zealand for four or five years. We used to go on tour and then return home, but he used to return to India, which was away from home. From that point of view it was harder for him because we would invariably go home, he wouldn't.

You were out of the side from 1992 to 1996. Then again, you were out in 2005. How would you compare the two phases?
They're two completely different things. In 1992 I was a young boy, 18 or 19, and it didn't matter to me. I was happy playing for Bengal and just playing first-class cricket. At that age you don't worry about anything. When I lost my place in the side in 2005, it was different. I was 32, I'd lost my captaincy - for whatever reasons; there was a lot of controversy going around. That was not a very happy way to lose my place in the side. Those two situations were completely different.

What kept you going when you were left out the second time around? What sort of work did you do?
I worked on my game and I got a lot of time for myself. When I was away from the hustle and bustle of international cricket, the hotels, airports, day-in and day-out, that's a different grind. The fatigue ... I was completely out of the system, but I always believed I had it in me to play. There were a lot of tough tours coming and I knew that if people don't do well, my turn will come. It was just a belief and hope and things could have gone the other way as well. But that's what destiny is all about.

From the outside it appears that you're a lot calmer at the crease now. Your composure is intact. Is this a change since you made your comeback?
It depends, Anand. When you play well, a lot of things look good. When you're not playing well, you try things and it doesn't work. That's why this is sport. Obviously I have more time to myself now and captaincy does take a load in India. As a captain you have to handle the team, your own game, media, selection, getting tours working - so it is not easy. Now I have more time for myself, to work on my game. I can think about what I need to do to help the team which keeps me mentally fresh.

So you would agree that batting is a lot about keeping your mind free and sorting the mental aspects?
Yeah, of course. Anything is about keeping your mind free. The more you start thinking about other things, it doesn't help.

	"To be honest, I've not seen anything special, except for Yuvraj and Sehwag in the batting, and Harbhajan, Sreesanth and RP. Zaheer is a seasoned campaigner, so I'm not including him in this bracket. We need some more quality players coming through, especially in terms of batting"

Which of your innings since your comeback has given you the most satisfaction? And you have a few to choose from.
To be very honest the first knock in Johannesburg was very crucial. It was my comeback and it was a difficult wicket and we won a Test match in South Africa for the first time. My knock in Nottingham, when me and Sachin had a crucial stand, that was satisfying - also in a match India won. A hundred at Eden Gardens, my first hundred at home, that was satisfying. Also my first double-hundred, [after] we were 61 for 4 ... it's been good.

You're not known for your fitness, but still you've had a long career. What's the secret of your longevity?
I have done my fitness work. I'm not as fit as a Mohammad Kaif or as some of these younger guys are. When we started our cricket, the idea of fitness was completely different. It has changed over the years. People like me and Rahul have worked on our fitness. We may not be the quickest on the field. But we do our cardio and weights, which actually helps when you bat.

Your technique is not as compact as Sachin's or Rahul's. Have you had to work that much harder?
No, it's not as compact. My technique was never as compact as those two, but I have other gifts. My timing. I could hit the good balls for four and maybe other people may not have had this ability. I had to adjust my game accordingly.

I've realised what my strengths are and what my strengths are not, and played accordingly. By God's grace I had this natural ability of being a very good player on the off side. That helped in international cricket, because that's the channel where bowlers like to bowl and try to get you out. Every player is going to be different, but every player should find a way to get runs. I've just found my way.

You've spoken about some of the difficulties in leading India. What's the most difficult part?
The most difficult part of leading India is time management. And you have to be thick-skinned. You cannot worry about what's going on around you. You have to lead with your best intentions. You have to wake up in the morning or go to sleep in the night thinking, "Today I've done what is the best for the good of Indian cricket." There will be opinions. Thousands of people are watching, people are making livelihoods out of this game, so there will be criticism. If you start going through all of them, then you'll have a very tough time. You have to learn how to switch yourself off from all this and do what is good for the game.

'You have to learn how to switch yourself off from all this and do what is good for the game' © Cricinfo Ltd

Rahul Dravid has said that the reactions of the fans and the media sometimes lacks proportion. Would you agree?
I've had my ways of dealing with this. And I've told Jam this once before as well. You should not be worried about how the media and public react. They can react however they want. It's how you as captain react to what they say that's important. You have to learn to keep yourself out of all this.

To digress for a second: I have criticised you repeatedly over the years, in my writing and on television. I'm seen to be anti-Ganguly. Why are you sitting down with me and speaking to me?
No, no, no. I have never thought like that. I have never worried about criticism. If I don't play well, I don't expect you to write that I've played well. What only matters is that it should not get personal. Anand, I'm a pretty free person. I don't have hiccups like this and I don't carry baggage. Even with my team-mates, when I was captain, I would get angry with them on the field at times, but off the field I'd go out of my way to back them. I've got no issues with criticism. Sometimes it helps.

What is preventing India, with its large talent pool and vast resources, from becoming a dominant force in world cricket?
I think we have become more dominant over time. Playing at home we've always been very good. But our performance overseas in the last five-seven years has changed. I was reading recently, probably on your website, that India has won more matches overseas than any team other than Australia, in recent times. That's a pretty good sign. But we need some quality players. We've had a crop of players - Tendulkar, Dravid, myself, Laxman, Anil, in the 34-35 years bracket - who have been outstanding for Indian cricket. We need some consistent talent coming through. To be honest, I've not seen anything special, except for Yuvraj and Sehwag in the batting, and Harbhajan, Sreesanth and RP. Zaheer is a seasoned campaigner, so I'm not including him in this bracket. We need some more quality players coming through, especially in terms of batting.

If you could change something about Indian cricket what would it be?
Try and take the pressure off the players as much as possible. Let them play as freely as they can.

We'll do well against Lee - Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly, who on Boxing Day will play his 100th Test, says the series against Australia will be interesting because India are the only side to give the hosts stiff competition over the last five to six years © AFP

Few teams can claim to have a 4-4 record against Australia over the last seven years but India's have shown they can mix it with the best, Sourav Ganguly has said.

"We are the only team in the world that's done well against Australia home and away over the last five to six years. We all know they are a good side but we also have the side to beat them," he said two days before the first Test in Melbourne, his 100th, starting on Boxing Day.

"We've won in every country over the last six to seven years and most of the boys in the team have the experience of winning abroad. They know what it takes - putting up runs and taking wickets. I think even the Australians realise - and I'm friends with a few of them - that it's India that are the only one to have competed with them in the last six years. From that point of view, it makes the series interesting."

Ganguly led India in their drawn series in 2003-04, a memorable series which he kickstarted with a sublime century in Brisbane. "Last time, we came as underdogs and did well. We probably have a better bowling attack this time [compared to last] and with [Mahendra Singh] Dhoni at No. 7 have a strong batting line-up too. It's about performing out in the middle. What we did in 2003 won't make a difference."

India will go into the series under-cooked, with their only practice match being severely affected by rain, but Ganguly said they all knew what to expect. "International cricket is the same everywhere - fast bowlers hurry you up and get extra bounce," he said when asked about the pacy conditions he might encounter.

"I heard the wicket has slowed down in Melbourne but there will still be carry for the seamers. Sydney and Adelaide will spin and Perth will bounce more. Most of these players have been around for 12 to 13 years and have fantastic records. So they'll expect bounce and pace. We have to learn to adapt."

"It's not the first time that they'll be facing someone bowling at 90mph. We just played Shoaib [Akhtar], who's probably the fastest bowler in the world. It will help us in this series. [Brett] Lee's doing well, he's bowled well. But I think we'll do well against him."

Did he think there were any weaknesses in this Australian side, one that's racked up 14 Test wins in a row? "They'll obviously miss [Glenn] McGrath and [Shane] Warne," he said after a thoughtful pause, "because you're looking at 1200 wickets between them. But I'm sure people like [Mitchell] Johnson, [Stuart] Clark, [Brad] Hogg are looking forward to Test cricket. They have the ability and I'm sure they'll be good as well."

On his last visit, Ganguly was picked out as one of the weak links in the strong batting line-up with the Australians promising "chin music". This time, though, with him being in such fine nick, no such talk has surfaced. "Even after I got a hundred in Brisbane someone said they was talking about 'chin music'," said Ganguly with a smile. "It's a part and parcel of sport."

Ganguly wasn't the least surprised that one of his fiercest rivals on the field, Steve Waugh, had backed him in a newspaper column recently. "Whatever happened in the past was in an effort to win matches," said Ganguly playing down the rivalry. "I've said before that he's one of my role models. He led a tough side, and made them compete hard. He lifted Australian cricket and what it is today is partly because of him."

Sourav Ganguly set to play 100th Test in Australia

Sourav Ganguly set to play 100th Test in Australia

Sourav Ganguly poses with the Man-of-the-series trophy after the third and last Test match between India and Pakistan at Bangalore

His place in the Test team wasn’t an established one a year ago. Sourav Ganguly, who has made one of the most remarkable comebacks by an Indian batsman in contemporary cricket, will be the ‘man to target’ when the Aussies gear up to bowl fierce bouncers at the Indian batsman when the Border-Gavaskar Trophy gets underway on December 26.

Ganguly was the man-of-the-series in the recently concluded Test series against arch rivals Pakistan. The former Indian captain told an Indian News channel that he missed out on a lot more hundreds in his Test career due to the reason that he batted at no.5 and no.6 for the majority of his stint with the Indian team.

He said that it was a positive sign that the team was producing good wicket-keeper batsmen like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik who have helped the likes of Ganguly and Laxman to score more hundreds, batting at 5 and 6 respectively in the order.

The left-hander, who scored his maiden double hundred in the Bangalore Test and was the top run-getter in the series against Pakistan, said going up the order helped his batting. Ganguly also scored his maiden Test hundred in front of home fans at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The batsman received a grand facilitation ceremony when he arrived in Kolkata with former Bengal cricket Gopal Bose presenting him with a photograph showing Ganguly jumping in joy after completing the hundred in the Kolkata Test.

Sourav Ganguly will become the seventh Indian in history to appear in 100 Tests during the Boxing Day Test match against Australia. It will be a fantastic milestone for the former captain, especially since the left-hander takes lot of pride playing against Australia and will be a prime figure when the Tests get underway.

Sourav Ganguly set to play 100th Test in Australia

Sourav Ganguly set to play 100th Test in Australia

Sourav Ganguly poses with the Man-of-the-series trophy after the third and last Test match between India and Pakistan at Bangalore

His place in the Test team wasn’t an established one a year ago. Sourav Ganguly, who has made one of the most remarkable comebacks by an Indian batsman in contemporary cricket, will be the ‘man to target’ when the Aussies gear up to bowl fierce bouncers at the Indian batsman when the Border-Gavaskar Trophy gets underway on December 26.

Ganguly was the man-of-the-series in the recently concluded Test series against arch rivals Pakistan. The former Indian captain told an Indian News channel that he missed out on a lot more hundreds in his Test career due to the reason that he batted at no.5 and no.6 for the majority of his stint with the Indian team.

He said that it was a positive sign that the team was producing good wicket-keeper batsmen like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik who have helped the likes of Ganguly and Laxman to score more hundreds, batting at 5 and 6 respectively in the order.

The left-hander, who scored his maiden double hundred in the Bangalore Test and was the top run-getter in the series against Pakistan, said going up the order helped his batting. Ganguly also scored his maiden Test hundred in front of home fans at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The batsman received a grand facilitation ceremony when he arrived in Kolkata with former Bengal cricket Gopal Bose presenting him with a photograph showing Ganguly jumping in joy after completing the hundred in the Kolkata Test.

Sourav Ganguly will become the seventh Indian in history to appear in 100 Tests during the Boxing Day Test match against Australia. It will be a fantastic milestone for the former captain, especially since the left-hander takes lot of pride playing against Australia and will be a prime figure when the Tests get underway.

Ganguly's indomitable spirit

In the early fall of last year, India's just rudely discarded captain, dumped uncharitably by a palpably evil-minded coach, a noncommittal docile skipper, a prejudiced selection panel and wishy-washy BCCI officials, was perhaps wondering at the vicissitudes of life as he strolled disconsolately into the field for a Ranji trophy match for Bengal at CCI, Mumbai.

There were less than a 100 casual spectators who had sauntered in on account of free entry, the members gallery was virtually empty, the camera crew was conspicuous by it's absence, and the air around the Brabourne stadium was silent in solitude. The mood was in synchronicity with the rejected man's loneliness. . Not far away the crowds thronged, the media chased and analysts lauded the anointment of India's new coach , with the magnanimous sobriquet of Guru Greg ( Chappell). When I protested the blatant humiliation, the callous treatment, the shocking apathy being shown towards the erstwhile leader ----- there were many who thought I was only a rabid rabble-rouser. A desperate friend. A solitary buffoon on a suicidal mission. A myopic critic backing a single-legged horse. In short, a staggering exercise in futility.

I saw Sourav Ganguly as he marched in to bat with India struggling precariously at 61 for 4 at Chinnaswamy stadium in the crucial third Test at Bangalore, perhaps wondering if this will be another classic Indian choke at the penultimate hour on the brink of a historic home-series win against Pakistan. By the time the day's play concluded, the script had been brutally overhauled. His chosen one, the irrepressible Yuvraj Singh had hit a brilliant 169, and it was now left to the veteran southpaw to demonstrate his majesty. He did. As he returned back after that terrific 239 to the cheering pavilion crowd, screaming galleries and millions of happy households across the country, it was obvious that this was no Bollywood fantasy. Or a usual comeback story. This was real stuff. Of guts. Of glory. Of struggle. Of survival. Of what former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill would appropriately say, "of blood, tears, toil and sweat".

I don't need to go into nostalgia lane to pen that audacious performance in the Johannesburg Test in South Africa where the first paragraph of the return chapter got quietly etched. The rest, as they say, in the ultimate cliche of all time, is history. The fact that Ganguly even managed an elusive hundred at his home-town Eden Gardens only adds further magic and worldly charm to his indefinable fable. As is his unfathomable skill in deceiving batsmen with his innocuous pace. There is something about Sourav.

The fact that he bats at the most vital middle-order position of number five (which makes his every entry on the 22 yard pitch a "crucial one" from one or other perspective of the game), and that he has been India's highest run getter in Tests this year, makes his accomplishments even more extraordinary. He may or may not overtake Jacques Kallis to become the top notch international batsman in Tests for 2007, but Ganguly has in my opinion, helped in giving the Indian team what it had seemingly lacked post -the World Cup fiasco. An attitude. A self-belief. The indomitable spirit! And the ability to put faith over the fear of failure. He is a role model for all aspiring youngsters in any and every walk of life.

It is fitting indeed that Sourav should be playing his 100th Test match against the formidable Australians at Melbourne on December 26th 2007. It is Boxing Day. And if I can take the liberty of a deliberate twisted pun, if anybody has that deadly punch in the ring, it is Sourav Ganguly. The boxing gloves are perennially on, always ready for the most wily adversary.

Take a bow, Dada!

Your best, I believe as always, is yet to come.

Resurgent Ganguly in top 20 after 7 years

Saurav Ganguly
Following his outstanding performance in the series against Pakistan, Sourav Ganguly entered into the top-20 of ICC Test rankings for batsmen for the first time in seven years.

The left-hander notched up two centuries, one fifty at an average of 89.00 to earn the Player of the Series award and jump four places to 20th in the ICC list.

However, Sachin Tendulkar dropped a rung to 19th. On the bowling front, India's Test captain Anil Kumble is relishing his time in charge and the veteran leg-spinner took 18 wickets in the three-Test series to move up two places to fifth in the bolwers list.

Meanwhile, pace spearhead Irfan Pathan's maiden Test hundred has pushed him to the sixth spot in the rankings for all-rounders, behind Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka. The other big mover from the India-Pakistan Test series is Misbah-ul-Haq. The right-hander began the series in 88th position but is now ranked 25th after scoring 464 runs in six innings at an average of 116.

At the top, Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara and Australia's Ricky Ponting are sharing the number one position in the rankings for batsmen. The two are locked on 936 ratings points but Sangakkara has the first chance to move ahead again when Sri Lanka and England take the field for the third and final Test of the series in Galle, starting on Tuesday.

Ganguly attributes success to batting at No. 4

Batsman rues hundreds missed lower down the order
December 14, 2007

Sourav Ganguly: "I had to bat at five or sometimes six and I missed quite a few hundreds"

Sourav Ganguly, the Man of the Series in India's recent series against Pakistan, has attributed his tremendous success to batting at No.4. Ganguly, mostly a No.5 or 6 batsman, walked in at No.4 in three of the six innings, notching up scores of 46, 239 and 91 from that position, and felt he could have had more hundreds in his career had he batted higher throughout.

"I got to bat at No. 4 in this series and it helped me," he told CNN-IBN, an Indian news channel, after enjoying his most successful three-match series in close to a decade. "I have batted lower down the order for a lot of time and Rahul [Dravid] used to bat at No. 3 and Sachin [Tendulkar] came at four. As a result, I had to bat at five or sometimes six and I missed quite a few hundreds because we did not have wicketkeeper-batsmen like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik earlier. These guys support people batting at five or six. But me and [VVS] Laxman suffered in terms of getting hundreds," he added.

Ganguly began his Test career at No. 3 but managed only 16 more chances in that position. He has batted at No. 4 in 18 innings but the majority of his career has been from Nos. 5 (84) and 6 (39). He managed a hundred from No. 5 in the second Test of the recent series, a memorable one in front of his home crowd in Kolkata, and was sent in at No. 4 in the second innings to speed up the scoring-rate. An injury to Tendulkar meant he walked in at No. 4 in the final Test too, one where he cracked his career-best score.

A special one for the Maharaj

December 13, 2007

Sourav Ganguly can rest well after a splendid series against Pakistan © AFP

Sourav Ganguly - 9.5
In his most successful series in 11 years, Ganguly probably batted better than he ever has. A mammoth 239 in Bangalore overshadowed the rest but there were two vital second-innings knocks in the first and third Test that snuffed out Pakistan's hopes of a revival. Throw in a fairytale century in front of his doting home crowd - his first in Kolkata - and you had one of the most stirring revivals in recent memory. There were also four wickets, including an untiring spell in Delhi that provided the early opening.

Wasim Jaffer - 9
Jaffer was outstanding in the opening two games. His 53 in the Delhi Test set up the run-chase but it was the towering 202 in Kolkata that will be remembered for long. He couldn't cash in on the starts in Bangalore, and dropped a dolly of a catch when fielding at short leg in Delhi, but he provided much-needed solidity at the top of the order.

VVS Laxman - 9
He began the series with his spot under threat but ended it as one of the most dependable batsmen. A match-winning 72 in Delhi was followed by an expert hundred at his favourite venue, Kolkata. It wasn't until the third Test that Pakistan managed to dismiss him. He didn't make an impact in Bangalore, having to retire hurt in the second innings after being hit on the elbow, but will now take on his favourite opponents - Australia - with loads of confidence.

Yuvraj Singh - 8.5
Grabbing his first chance with the poise of a veteran, Yuvraj changed the dynamics of the final Test. His sizzling 169 was arguably the knock of the series, lifting India from a precarious 61 for 4 and making a mess of Pakistan's hopes. He had a good time with the ball as well, claiming two wickets in the final afternoon of the series and raising visions of an unlikely win.

Anil Kumble - 8
Bounding in with his usual fervour, Kumble enjoyed a successful first series as captain. As expected, he topped the wicket-takers' list, with 18 victims at 26.5, and led the side in an assured manner. He had to put up with dopey pitches but never tired and pegged away till the last ball. It was fitting that he claimed his first series win in Bangalore, his home town where he was cheered heartily.

Zaheer Khan - 7
An inspired spell on the fourth morning in Delhi, when the ball reverse-swung alarmingly, turned to be match-winning. He was economical in Kolkata (1 for 101 in 33.2 overs) and missed the Bangalore Test with an injury to his landing heel.

Irfan Pathan - 6.5
Was called up following injuries to his fast-bowling colleagues but made the most of the chance with the bat. His maiden ton in Bangalore, which involved a big partnership with Ganguly, effectively sealed the series. He didn't have much of an impact with the ball, preferring to bowl accurately and keep the runs down. On a pancake-like pitch it was probably his best option.

Ishant Sharma - 6.5
A five-wicket haul in his second Test couldn't have come at a better time. It vindicated Venkatesh Prasad's faith in him and earned him a berth to Australia. He was impressive with the new ball on the third evening and mopped up the tail with some sensible bowling on the fourth morning. Clocking around 135-140kph, he showed he could use both the bouncer and yorker effectively.

Sachin Tendulkar - 6
Went largely unnoticed in what was a lukewarm series. Played a key role in blunting Shoaib Akhtar on the fourth evening in Delhi and was fluent during his controlled 82 in Kolkata. It was an important knock, one where he and Jaffer set the tone for the batathon. A knee injury kept him out of the Bangalore game but he's not one whom the Aussies will take lightly.

Rahul Dravid - 6
Had a quiet series with some key contributions. A couple of dogged innings in Delhi and Bangalore were overshadowed by Ganguly's flair and an umpiring decision cut short his knock in Kolkata. Wasn't the Wall we're used to seeing and saw his Test average drop below 56.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni - 6
Shared an important partnership with Laxman in Delhi, when he reached fifty, and feasted on an insipid attack in Kolkata. Had a reasonably good time behind the stumps, though he was injured for the match played on the toughest pitch.

Harbhajan Singh - 4
A disappointing series overall, barring a couple of good spells in Delhi and Kolkata. Harbhajan was constantly in Kumble's shadow and operated as a partnership-breaker rather than leader of the pack. A stern test awaits in a country where he's played only one Test.

Dinesh Karthik - 4
Had a tough series with the bat and a horror of a game behind the stumps in Bangalore, admittedly on a horror of a pitch, where he set a record for the most byes conceded by an Indian wicketkeeper in a Test innings. Showed some batting form with a second-innings fifty in the final Test, one that came from No.7 rather than his usual opening slot. Sneaked into the squad for Australia but it remains to be seen if he gets a game.

Munaf Patel - 3.5
Barring a short burst in Delhi, he struggled through the first two Tests and injured himself ahead of the third. Didn't hit the back-of-a-length spot we're accustomed to seeing from him and wasn't penetrative enough either.

Gautam Gambhir - 3
Missed out in his only chance, in Bangalore, and injured himself by the end of the game. Received a good ball from Mohammad Sami in the first innings - handing him his first wicket in the series - and was deceived by a Shoaib Akhtar slower ball in the second.

'Manner in which I was dropped wasn't right' - Ganguly

'Manner in which I was dropped wasn't right' - Ganguly

December 10, 2007

Sourav Ganguly is so far India's leading Test run-scorer for 2007

Sourav Ganguly has said that his forced exile from international cricket made him more determined to prove a point. He also said that he intends to play through 2008.

"Not better, but probably more determined," Ganguly told the Kolkata-based Telegraph. "I wish to add that the circumstances and the manner in which I got dropped just weren't right. I don't have an issue with being left out, that's part of the game, but the manner wasn't right."

Ganguly had differences with the then coach Greg Chappell and the issue snowballed after one of Chappell's email to the board was leaked in September 2005. On November 22, the selectors ended his five-year reign as Test captain when they picked Rahul Dravid to lead the side for the series against Sri Lanka. Dravid had been handed the one-day captaincy a month before. Ganguly was dropped from the one-day side in October and the Test team in December and made his comeback in to both teams a year later in December last year.

Ganguly, 35, is so far India's leading Test run-scorer for 2007 with 932 runs following his double-hundred in Bangalore, and he has been growing from strength to strength. He squashed all speculations about his retirement, saying he intends to play next year. "Call it [his age] a driving force or whatever, but I want to continue being successful... The hunger hasn't died... Form permitting, I intend playing through 2008."

Ganguly's fairytale

December 9, 2007

The most noticeable feature of Sourav Ganguly's batting since his return to international cricket has been his poise

If you're looking for a clue to what has helped Sourav Ganguly sustain his spectacular run in Test cricket since his return at the fag end of last year, don't bother looking at his footwork or the flow of his bat. Take, instead, a close look at his eyes while he is batting. They speak of a calmness that borders on serenity, and a combination of composure and resolve. You could see it in his comeback innings in Johannesburg, which fetched him an unbeaten 51, and you could see it through his epic innings in Bangalore that marked a new high in his career.

In his bowling, and on the field, we have seen the more familiar Ganguly; excitable, emotional, even fiery. He has appealed cantankerously and celebrated his wickets and catches with child-like gusto. His batting hasn't lacked his natural flair - in fact, he has been batting with greater freedom than he did in the period leading up to his temporary banishment - but the most noticeable feature about his cricket has been his poise. It hasn't left him even after he has occasionally been cornered into an awkward position by a short ball.

He has let himself go only once: it was an emotional moment, getting to his first hundred before his adoring home fans. But his celebration after he got to his first double-hundred, a landmark he sought and will cherish, was far more subdued. There was the raising of the arms and the acknowledgment of applause from his team-mates and the crowd. But then there was also a series of little pumps of the fist, and a waving of the helmet. Those were for himself. There was an air of fulfillment, of a man celebrating privately in public. His smile touched a million hearts: his struggle to regain his place, and some would say his honour, have been among the most stirring and uplifting stories in cricket.

Let's be done with the numbers first. Incredibly for a man who was given up for dead, 2007 has been his most successful year statistically. Potentially he has three innings left still, and he has already scored 932 runs at 62.13. His most prolific year to date has been 2002, when he managed 945 runs - but it took him 16 Tests back then. Put together, 2005 and 2006 yielded him only 422 runs from 11 Tests at 28.13, and that included a painstaking hundred against a hopeless Zimbabwean bowling attack.

The manner of his removal, first from captaincy and then from the team, continues to rankle with his supporters, and surely with him. But it is undeniable that from that low has emerged this high. It was perhaps a bit disingenuous for Greg Chappell to claim credit for Ganguly's revival, but in the cold light of the day, the exile, the sheer indignation of it, did make the revival possible, and ultimately far more poignant.

The credit for it must go entirely to Ganguly, for few rational observers would have seen it coming. It wasn't just that the runs had dried up; his skills, his responses, seemed to have deserted him, and he bore the look of a haunted man.

He owes his return to a change in the selection committee, but the rest of the story is about a man who simply refused to surrender to what seemed inevitable to most. Much can be said about his improved footwork and the decisiveness of his stroke-making, but in the end, it has been a triumph of spirit, of incredible strength of mind and faith.

Ganguly is living out a fairytale at the moment, and nothing he achieves will be a surprise anymore. There are many, me included, who believed Ganguly's time as an international cricketer was over. We owe him an apology and a salute

Remarkably, in a batting line-up featuring Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, Ganguly has been India's best batsman since his return. Not merely for consistency and the number of runs scored - during the course of his double-hundred he became India's leading run--getter this year - but for the assuredness of the manner in which he has made them. His half-century in his return Test in Johannesburg, though subdued and a bit laboured, helped India to what ultimately turned out to be a match-winning first-innings total in a low-scoring Test. And in the decisive Test in Cape Town, only he looked fluent and in control in the fateful second innings; his dismissal induced a crawl that proved terminal.

In England he had a series of vital contributions, and none better than a 79 on a challenging pitch in the second Test at Trent Bridge. Apart from Zaheer Khan's inspired swing bowling, my warmest memory from that match is of Ganguly's square-driving.

Michael Vaughan set an off-side trap, with four men between cover and gully, and Ganguly teased and mocked him by caressing, punching and guiding the ball repeatedly through that cordon: one to the right of point, then one to the left, and then a couple between the two gullies. He was denied a hundred by a wrong decision, and his response to that dismissal told a story. In an earlier time he would have left kicking and stomping; here he did so with an ironic, rueful smile. The protest was registered, but without causing offence.

Admittedly his hundreds in the current series have come against feeble opponents. The pitch at Kolkata offered nothing to the bowlers, and Shoaib Akhtar was drained by illness. But at Bangalore he was not so much up against the bowlers as the match situation. He provided the calm cushion for Yuvraj Singh to flow at the other end without ever sacrificing his own strokes.

Personally, my favourite Ganguly innings of the series is a small but vital one. It came during the run-chase in the final innings of the first Test. Shoaib had just cleaned up Rahul Dravid with a ripper; India had over a hundred runs to get; and Tendulkar was finding non-existent demons in the pitch. In this banana-skin situation, typical to India, Ganguly, who had fallen cheaply in the first innings, set about cutting down the target nervelessly, with deliciously timed fours against Shoaib, Mohammad Sami, and Danish Kaneria.

The toughest challenge lies ahead. Australia will come hard at him, and the pitches will test his skills. But he is living out a fairytale at the moment, and nothing he achieves will be a surprise anymore. There are many, me included, who believed Ganguly's time as an international cricketer was over. We owe him an apology and a salute.

Ganguly's double ton propels India

Saurav remains 215* at the Drinks...with 28X4 & 1X6
India was 526 for six on the second day of the third and final Test against Pakistan at Bangalore on Sunday.

Resuming Day 2 at 365 for 5, India continued to pile the runs. However, Yasir Arafat picked up his fourth wicket of the match as he dismissed Dinesh Karthik for 24.

Sourav Ganguly resuming on 125 soon completed his 150 helping India cross the 400 mark in the process.

Shoaib Akhtar, who missed most of Day 1 with a back spasm is back on the field but is unlikely to bowl for Pakistan.

Earlier, Yuvraj Singh and Saurav Ganguly took Pakistan to the cleaners with centuries despite India losing early wickets as the hosts ended the Day 1 at 365 for five.

Ganguly put India on top

Ganguly put India on top

December 8, 2007

Day 1 India 365 for 5 (Yuvraj 169, Ganguly 125*, Arafat 3-98) v Pakistan
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly scored splendid centuries to rescue India from 69 for 4 © AFP

The Chinnaswamy Stadium has been witness to some exceptional batting down the years, from Sunil Gavaskar's 96 to Michael Clarke's century on debut, via Sachin Tendulkar's destruction of Shane Warne (1998). The last time India played here, Younis Khan's monumental 267 inspired a famous Pakistan triumph, but on Saturday, he could only watch ruefully as Yuvraj Singh and Sourav Ganguly stroked sublime centuries to wrest control of the final Test.

Yasir Arafat's three wickets on debut had shaken the innings to its very foundations before lunch, but from the depths of 61 for 4, Yuvraj and Ganguly constructed a magnificent run edifice. With Shoaib Akhtar off the field after lunch with back spasms, Pakistan's gamble of playing just four specialist bowlers was horribly exposed in the final two sessions.

Younis, who did his best to make sure that shoulders didn't droop too much, was left to reflect on a difficult chance that he failed to hold on to at slip when Yuvraj had made just 12. Danish Kaneria was the luckless bowler, and insult was added to injury over the course of an afternoon when the Indians cut and drove fours at will.

Yuvraj started extremely nervously, understandable given that he hadn't played a Test since the West Indies tour in 2006. A tuck off his hips from Arafat got the scoreboard ticking, but it was only when he played a glorious shot down the ground off Mohammad Sami that he began to resemble the man who has tormented Pakistan over the past few years.

Yuvraj celebrated the Younis reprieve with a gorgeous cover drive off Sami, and the complexion of the match changed as he and Ganguly began to pick off the loose deliveries with precision and ease. Sami was repeatedly creamed through the covers, while Kaneria was cut and driven for four. There was the odd scampered single too as Pakistan began to lose the plot.

A superb flick through midwicket got Yuvraj to his half-century from 75 balls, and when Younis brought himself on, Ganguly was quick to follow suit. His classy effort had taken a while longer, 92 balls, but was no less valuable in providing India a bridgehead. Even the return of Arafat failed to stem the tide. His first nine overs had cost 26, and fetched him three wickets, but the next 10 that he bowled went for 53 as the batsmen cut loose.

The decision to pick Yasir Arafat as the third seamer, ahead of Sohail Tanvir, proved inspirational as he grabbed early wickets © AFP

A cut through cover took Yuvraj to his third century, all of them against his favourite opposition. There was a jubilant leap in the air and a prolonged hug from Ganguly, followed by some more breathtaking drives. Even with four men spread out to stop the cover drive, Yuvraj still found the boundary and a huge heave for six off Kaneria brought up the 200-run partnership.

Bereft of options, Younis turned to the part-time spin of Salman Butt and Yasir Hameed, but there was no respite. Ganguly, who timed the ball immaculately, especially against Kaneria, drove Hameed through the covers to bring up his 15th Test century, and second in succession, raising his bat to acknowledge the applause from an enraptured crowd.

The partnership so demoralised Pakistan that the second new ball was taken only after 84 overs, with Younis also conscious of a dismal over-rate. Initially, it made not the slightest bit of difference, with Ganguly and Yuvraj continuing to score runs at will.

The partnership was worth exactly 300 when Sami's perseverance was rewarded with a leading edge to point. By then, Yuvraj had amassed a fabulous 203-ball 169, and left the selectors with a massive headache before the Boxing Day Test. By the time he trudged off to a standing ovation, Yuvraj had made an irresistible case to be retained for the trial by Australia pace.

It had been so very different in the morning, when Arafat savoured a debut of schoolboy-dream variety as Pakistan's quest for a hat-trick of victories here started brightly. Sohail Tanvir had done the third seamer's job in Delhi and Kolkata but the decision to draft in Arafat, who had a good county season with Kent, was an inspired one. On a pleasant, sunny day that wouldn't have been out of place in the English summer, he came on as first change after Shoaib and Sami had made lively starts.

After choking off the runs, Sami had given Pakistan the early wicket they sought. Gambhir, one of those with a point to prove, edged one behind to give Sami his first wicket of the series. Soon after, Arafat came on, and India crumbled.

He bowled at lively pace and swung the ball just enough to trouble the batsmen. Rahul Dravid had driven him beautifully through the covers twice, but when he got a little extra bounce outside off stump, the attempted cut flew off the edge to the left of first slip. Misbah-ul-Haq took a smart catch that left Dravid plenty of time to reflect on a dismal record in familiar surroundings - just one score over 50 in ten innings.

Wasim Jaffer, who started sedately before unveiling a couple of superb fours, was then guilty of an extraordinary error of judgment, padding up to one that shaped back in. That left India in disarray at 51 for 3, and it got worse on the stroke of lunch, when VVS Laxman toe-ended one on to his stumps. Then came the resurrection, as two left-hand batsmen touched by grace shone even brighter than the winter sun.

A ton on home ground is very special-Saurav Ganguly "DADA"

A ton on home ground is very special-Saurav Ganguly "DADA"
The man of the moment on Day II at the Eden Gardens was most definitely local boy Sourav Ganguly who finally gave the crowd what they most wanted- a century. CNN-IBN's Source spoke to the King of Kolkata right after his knock.
Source: How does it feel scoring a century at the Eden Gardens?

Sourav Ganguly: It feels good getting a 100 anywhere in Tests. But obviously at Eden Gardens, where I have played most of my cricket, it's special.

Source: How would you rate your century? Is the Lord's one better or this one?

Sourav Ganguly: It is difficult to say. Every 100 has its own importance but as I said getting a 100 at Eden, my home ground, is different.

Source: Is the Indian team sensing victory as it has put a huge total?

Sourav Ganguly: Obviously we will try and force a win as there are still three days in the Test. It is a deteriorating wicket; it will turn a lot as the match goes on. It is going to wear and is not going to be the same. It has been probably at its best on the first two days and will play well tomorrow. The spinners will come into play on the fourth and the fifth day.

Source: In the last Test here India beat Australia. How do you see that Test and this match?

Sourav Ganguly: They are two different Test matches. It was even more special as we were down and out. From that stage to come and win a Test match, nobody expected it. But in this Test match we are on the top and if spinners bowl well, I am sure we will win.

Source: Gary Kirsten will be appointed as the new coach. How do you see it?

Sourav Ganguly: Well, I have played cricket with him. As a player he was fantastic and good wishes will be with him as a coach and I hope that together we can make India successful.

Sourav Ganguly got his first hundred on his home ground

Tea India 616 for 5 (Ganguly 102, Laxman 112*, Dhoni 50*) v Pakistan
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Sourav Ganguly got his first hundred on his home ground, Eden Gardens © AFP

Sourav Ganguly unveiled a special gift for an adoring home crowd, and two fingers to his critics, with his 14th Test hundred as India bruised, battered and pummelled Pakistan on the second day of the second Test at Eden Gardens.

VVS Laxman was an unobtrusive but integral participant in Ganguly's bash, contributing an untroubled 91 as India went to tea at 552 for 5. Wasim Jaffer's second Test double-hundred was his own party trick, earlier in the day, but with every ball, every run, every over, every boundary, Pakistan's spirits sapped further on another damaging afternoon.

Ganguly's hundred was a significant one: it was his first against Pakistan, his first at Eden Gardens, but most importantly his first in four years, almost to the day, against major opposition. It was further proof, if it was needed, that he has been among India's best batsmen since his return from a forced exile. At least one Australian in Rajasthan might wince at a Test record since then that shows four fifties and two hundreds in ten Tests.

Ganguly looked solid from the moment he arrived yesterday, though undoubtedly it helped that the moment was 313 for 3. He was tested only briefly this morning and straight after lunch, unimaginatively, with the short ball. He weathered most of it, though was lucky to survive a ferocious bouncer from Shoaib Akhtar just after lunch when on 63, as Yasir Hameed failed to hold on to a difficult chance at gully.

That apart, Ganguly was by turn regal and calculating. He drove well in front of square, which is generally a sign that he is in touch, never more than when caressing Mohammad Sami past wide mid-off early this morning. To move in to the nineties, just before mid-day drinks, he bettered it, with what was a mere push, off the same bowler.

In between, the area around point and gully was also well-traversed with any number of cuts, deflections and scythes. When he wasn't hitting boundaries - and that wasn't too often - he was picking up the many easy singles here, there and everywhere.

Laxman, as has recently been the case, put together a fine day's work without too many people taking too much notice. Only when he first came in this morning was he in any strife, and that too lasted no more than an over against Sohail Tanvir. He got in to the groove with a delicious drive off Tanvir, and before Pakistan knew it, he was helping himself to boundaries.

When they erred in length, he would push them between mid-off and extra cover and if they erred in line, he whipped them through the arc between mid-on and square leg. Shoaib and Sami tried to rattle him after lunch with bouncers and perhaps did so twice: the first, he fended off uncomfortably over slips, the second he gloved. Summing up, Pakistan's day, that shot went over the keeper for four.

Pakistan's bowling was a mass of nothingness: no line, no length, no intent, no plan © AFP

On he went, serenely, after that spell, aiding Ganguly in adding 163 at a fair clip and eventually outlasting his partner. Ganguly's loft to long-on, off Salman Butt of all people, was a rare act of Indian charity for Pakistan.

It is arguable whether they deserved it for apart from brief periods in the morning and immediately after lunch, Pakistan's bowling was a mass of nothingness: no line, no length, no intent, no plan. Shoaib and Sami looked healthier after a night's rest and stirred occasionally. Vitally, it was never sustained. As the afternoon wore on, even Danish Kaneria's restrictive plan to bowl leg stump failed to do prevent the easy runs.

With MS Dhoni on hand, Pakistan will wonder whether getting rid of Ganguly was so clever after all.