'I want to cherish this for a long period'

India v Australia, 4th Test, Nagpur, 5th day

'I want to cherish this for a long period'

November 10, 2008

	Sourav Ganguly: "I was disappointed with the 85 I got. I was so close to getting a hundred. That was more disappointing than the first-ball duck" © AFP

Speaking after his final day of international cricket, Sourav Ganguly has said his most significant contribution was to raise the image of Indian cricket by building a team that was competitive overseas.

"During the phase from 2000 to 2005 [when he was captain], and it's still going on now, Indian cricket's image has gone up immensely, especially while touring," Ganguly said. "We were always termed as soft when we travelled. I think that has changed considerably. At the present moment India are a formidable side home and away.

"I was lucky to have Sachin [Tendulkar], Rahul [Dravid], VVS Laxman, Anil [Kumble], [Virender] Sehwag and Harbhajan [Singh] probably playing their best cricket at that stage. We've always been a strong team at home. The overseas results I'll always cherish."

Under Ganguly's captaincy, which began in November 2000, India won 11 Tests overseas including matches in Sri Lanka, West Indies, England, Australia and Pakistan. India's success abroad has continued even after Ganguly's tenure ended but he felt that the challenge for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team now would be to continue winning after the retirements of key players. However, he felt Dhoni would be up to the task.

"Captaincy is a spark, it's not just preparation or the homework, it's about the spark on the field, which MS [Dhoni] has," Ganguly said. "He's got that extra bit of luck which you require in captaincy. I have never believed too much in the drawing board. I see a lot of that in MS Dhoni. He doesn't believe much in team meetings and all. He just does what he sees on the field. He will be tested when India goes overseas and I'm sure he will live up to it."

There was a lovely moment during the final passage of the Nagpur Test when Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Ganguly for some time. It was a magnificent gesture and fittingly, it was exactly eight years to the day since Ganguly had begun his tenure as captain in 2005.

"I didn't expect MS to ask me to captain the side for five overs," Ganguly said. "I was already switched off, so he woke me up. I didn't know what was happening the first six-seven balls. Luckily they were nine down so I managed to do it for three and then said it's his job, not mine any more."

What next? Sourav Ganguly had left international cricket and several people wanted to know what he was going to do in the future. Will you become a commentator? Will you write an autobiography? Ganguly answered each of those questions by saying he wanted some time off. "Commentary means travelling all the time," he said. "I don't think I'm ready yet. I've got other things to do at home. I've been on the road for 13 years. "It [an autobiography] takes a lot of time and patience. I don't know whether I have the patience. I'll take some time off and then take it from there."

Ganguly had been under tremendous scrutiny before the start of this series and his place in the squad was uncertain after he was left out of the Rest of India squad for the Irani Trophy. However, he was named in the 15-man squad and he announced his retirement before the series began. Ganguly made valuable contributions during his final series, steering India to safety in Bangalore, scoring a century in Mohali, and 85 in the first innings of the Nagpur Test. He finished the series with 324 runs at an average of 54 and India regained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"We've beaten the best team in the world 2-0," he said. "I've played well, the team's played well. There were lot of doubts after we came back from Sri Lanka. The way this Test match finished … it's probably one of the best finishes I've seen in terms of a team performance. I want to cherish this for a long period. I could easily sacrifice ten to 12 Tests for this."

When asked which of the numerous series that he's been involved in was the most memorable, Ganguly thought for a moment before picking out two of India's best moments in this century: the 2000-01 home victory against Australia and the drawn series in Australia in 2003-04.

Was he disappointed with his first-ball duck his final innings? "I was disappointed with the 85 I got," Ganguly said. "I was so close to getting a hundred. That was more disappointing than the first-ball duck."

Ganguly left a Test venue as an Indian cricketer for the final time on the shoulders of Harbhajan Singh and VVS Laxman but the dramatic scenes that played out after Kumble's announcement in Delhi were absent. "This is my time to leave," he said, and he went quietly.

No change in Ganguly's retirement plan

India v Australia, 2nd Test, Mohali, 2nd day

No change in Ganguly's retirement plan

October 18, 2008

	It's goodbye for sure: Sourav Ganguly's first Test hundred at home against Australia won't result in a change of plan © Getty Images

A 16th Test century in Mohali won't change Sourav Ganguly's plans to retire after the India-Australia Tests, he said on Saturday. Ganguly's 102 helped India to a formidable 469 on the second day of the second Test, but the innings hasn't forced a rethink for the former India captain.

"I think it's the right decision and I have no regrets," Ganguly said. "I just don't want to play any more, to be honest. I've been playing well for the last two years.

Ganguly has had a consistent run since returning to the team in December 2006, but was dropped from the Rest of India squad - primarily consisting of Test regulars - after a poor series in Sri Lanka. Ganguly, however, found a place in the Test squad picked by a new set of selectors and surprised all by announcing his retirement before the first Test in Bangalore.

"Except for the Sri Lanka series, I've had an outstanding two years," he said. "But it's just that I feel the time has come to go."

He said he was pleased with his effort in Mohali - Ganguly walked in at 163 for 4 and shared century stands with Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. "I'm just happy to get runs," he said. "I still hopefully have five innings to go [before retirement]. I will try to do well and finish off well.

"I've tried to enjoy every single day because every day will be the last," he said. "I'm trying to do my best."

During his innings, Ganguly became the fourth Indian batsman to go past 7000 Test runs. Ganguly has 11,363 ODI runs at an average over 40 - similar to that in Tests - but he said it's the performance in the five-day format that would be remembered in spite of the emergence of Twenty20.

"You will be remembered in what you have done in test matches. First Test matches, then one-day cricket," he said. "When you talk about great players, you talk about a [Sunil] Gavaskar or [Steve] Waugh or Tendulkar or [Ricky] Ponting. It's because of their performances in Test matches. Not what they do in Twenty20."

India began the series with question marks over the future of their senior players, but Ganguly felt performance, and not age, should be considered. "It's going to be an individual decision for everyone. Age is no bar," he said. "It's the runs you get and people like [VVS] Laxman, Sachin and Rahul [Dravid] have been scoring runs. They should be judged on their performance."

Ganguly revels in adversity

India v Australia, 2nd Test, Mohali, 2nd day

Ganguly revels in adversity

October 18, 2008

	Sourav Ganguly's century was his 16th in Tests and his second against Australia © Getty Images

The serial offender has done it again. Sourav Ganguly's announcement that this series would be his last took most of the adverse attention off his middle-order friends and concentrated it upon him. He revealed it was the Irani Cup axe that prompted his decision to quit and then drew flak for uncharitable comments, which were attributed to him, about selectors and team-mates. Suddenly, barely days after his decision to "gracefully retire" was celebrated, he once again became the villain. How we love to do that to Ganguly.

The pressure facing Ganguly this time, however, was new. He has battled for his place in side on several occasions but this time his selection was beyond doubt. And that created pressure in itself because he wouldn't want to be picked only because he had announced his retirement. That too after he had been made to feel unwanted, in no unsubtle terms, by not being called for the pre-series camp in Bangalore. The camp was held before the selection for the Tests, and apart from Ganguly (and Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik, who were both sure to be dropped), all the members of the previous Test squad were present.

The retirement and its aftermath ensured that Ganguly would still be fighting personal battles during the series. Another charge he's had to face was that he was a distraction to the team. Not to worry, though, for the dramatic build-up only took the game to Ganguly's home turf. It's hard to explain why, but as Ian Botham said of his own technique, it sort of clicks. Ganguly's game sort of clicks when he has been written off, it sort of clicks when people want him to be seen as the enemy. His game has sort of clicked so far in this series, for one last time.

Not many have scored a century in a series which they have chosen to be their last, a feat which Greg Chappell, an admirer of Ganguly's mental toughness, has performed. And when he completed his hundred, his celebrations portrayed a man at peace with himself. In his mind, perhaps, he didn't need to respond to chin-music claims, a coach, or even a former chairman of selectors. It has been a distinct characteristic of the Ganguly who made a comeback to the side in South Africa. Some have even called it his "paternal avatar".

So when Ganguly flicked Cameron White towards the midwicket boundary in the third over after lunch, and realised the ball wouldn't be cut off by the fielders, he ran towards the end opposite the pavilion, pumped his fists and raised both his arms, while smiling to himself. The helmet stayed where it was, and he didn't point at anybody. By the time Mahendra Singh Dhoni went up to hug him, Ganguly had already had a private moment or two. Here was a man who had fought the world, and more, but during one of his final moments of glory, he didn't have a message for his detractors, as if they didn't matter.

The century itself was a subdued effort on a flat pitch: more determined than flamboyant, more workman like than princely. He said later that the Australians had blocked the boundaries by employing defensive fields almost throughout. This innings required more patience than usual and Ganguly had it in abundance. Yesterday he took 18 balls to get off the mark but raced away while everybody was focused on Sachin Tendulkar's record. By the time Tendulkar took charge, Ganguly had reached his thirties and took the back seat again.

Today he had to start anew, almost like an opener, against refreshed bowlers and a ball which was five-overs old. He also had to make sure India didn't collapse before reaching a formidable total. He had the perfect partner in Dhoni, who took the attack to Australia, and the spotlight away from Ganguly. Quietly he moved towards his second hundred against Australia and his first at home. Perhaps it had taken a lot of out him for the error that resulted in his dismissal came immediately after he had reached the century. Ganguly's innings had begun with India on 163 for 4 but his partnerships with Tendulkar and Dhoni had helped achieve a total of 469.

On October 7, he had said "just one last thing lads", and dropped a bomb. On October 18, he said that one last thing. Or maybe not for there are five possible innings to go. We are still listening, Dadi.