Five best innings of Sourav Ganguly

Choosing five of the best innings of Sourav Gangulyis definitely a tough task. The now 41-year-oldin his prime had slammed several such performances that makes it tough to restrict it to just five.Combining silky strokeplay with his brutal assault on oppositionbowlers, Ganguly was arguably one of ODI crickets finest batsman. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the southpaw is still fourth on the list of most number of ODI tons.With 22 hundreds in 311 ODI outings, even six years after he hung his international boots, Gangulys record is one to envy. And even while on Test duty, Ganguly chipped in with several match-defining knocks that many a time guided India to a win. Scoring 7212 runs in the five-day format, studded with 16 centuries is no easy task.Prince of Calcutta, God on the off-side, Dada throughout his career Sourav Ganguly had been a darling amongst his fans. Here are five of the finest knocks from the former Indian skipper:

#5 Keeping calm under pressure

India aren’t too well known for their fourth innings chases. And it comes off as no surprise that while chasing 264 for a win in the 2nd Test against Sri Lanka at Kandy during their 2001 tour, India looked a bit nervy.

Prior to this Test, Ganguly had not scored a fifty in his last 13 innings. Though a brave and charismatic leader on the field, Sourav was no more the master with the willow. His very strength on the off side, had turned into his weakness. Opposition captains now laced the slips and off side with fielders as Ganguly continued to feed them catches. But at Kandy, Ganguly refused to fall again in the trap.

He brought up an unbeaten 98 from 152 deliveries as India sealed a 7-wicket win, their first in the Test tour. A rookie 20-year-old Mohammed Kaif looked on from the other end as his skipper burst into jubilation. Many a self-proclaimed critic had written off Sourav during his lean run of form. But the young Kaif definitely learned a few lesson or two as his skipper tamed his demons to guide India to an away win at the Emerald Isle.

#4 Punishing the old rival

For a career strewn with big knocks, a double ton in Tests eluded Sourav Ganguly for long. And what better opponents to bring it up against, than the old neighbouring rivals Pakistan.

After taking a 1-0 lead in the 3-match Test series at home against Pakistan during the 2007-08 series, the Indian batsmen seemed to have gotten a bit complacent. A draw in the second Test at Kolkata, made India searching for at least a draw to ensure a series win against the bitter rivals.

But at 61/4, things look really bleak for India at the Chinaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Ganguly earlier was disrespectfully dropped from the team by coach Greg Chappell and it looked like the end of the road for him. But the 2007-08 season saw Sourav script a fairytale comeback, going back the years to score a few more innings like his vintage best.

At the Chinaswamy, Ganguly found an able ally in Yuvraj Singh. And the left-handed duo went on to score quick counter-attacking cricket as India recovered from their early damage. When Yuvraj departed after a quick 169, Sourav was still at 124 and in no mood to give up yet.

The Prince of Calcutta treated the city of Bangalore to his maiden and only double ton in his Test career. His 361-ball 239 guided India to a mammoth 626. Dada then went on to score a quickfire 91 in the second innings, as India drew the Bangalore Test and sealed a 1-0 series win against their arch-rivals.

#3 Facing the chin music

Before the Indian team had even set foot on Australian soil for their 2003-04 tour down under, the Aussies had warned them of the dangers ahead. Captain Sourav Ganguly in specific was warned by Bret Lee to expect some chin music, in reference to Ganguly’s weakness against the bouncer.

This Test series was if not wrong to say was a test of fire for Ganguly. His batting record had suffered a dip owing to the added responsibilities of captaincy. Though under Ganguly, India had developed into a young brigade of talent performing both at home and away, his own batting form had turned into a cause of concern. In his last 10 Test innings prior to the Brisbane encounter, Ganguly had managed just a solitary ton. Thus, the run-machine that he was early in his career was suffering a long dry run.

A 121 from Justin Langer had guided the hosts to 323 in their 1st innings of the 1st Test at Brisbane. In reply, India were reeling at 62/3 when Ganguly walked in. The skipper rolled back the years as he returned to his majestic best. In an offside peppered with fielders, in order to tempt him to give away a catch, he found the gaps with sublime grace. He scored a 196-ball 144 that shut the Aussie banter about exposing his weakness against the bouncer.

Though rain forced the Test to be declared a draw, Ganguly’s innings went on to set the tone for the series. The Indian unit now believed for the first time that the Aussies were not invincible. Ganguly’s boys inspired by their leader went on to script a historic win at Adelaide and retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy after drawing the 4-match Test series 1-1.

#2 Taunting the Lankans

For Ganguly fans who were used to his silky strokemaking this was an innings laced with brutality. When as an upcoming cricketer if you manage to belt Chaminda Vaas and Muttaiah Muralitharan with absolute ease, then you know you have arrived. And Ganguly made his mark on the ODI map with great style.

Playing his first World Cup in the 1999 edition held at England, Ganguly announced himself to the world at Taunton on 26th May. Captain of the then reigning World Cup champion Sri Lanka team, Arjuna Ranatunga sent India in to bat at Taunton. And the move looked a tactical masterstroke as India lost opener Sadagopan Ramesh in the very first over. But a record 318-run stand for the 2nd wicket between Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made the game into a nightmare for the Lankans.

While Dravid set the tone early on for the Men in Blue, Ganguly started with elegance and then shifted gears to brute attack. After reaching his ton in 119 deliveries, the southpaw cut loose. He made a mockery of the Lankan bowling attack, scoring his remaining 83 runs in just 39 balls. He finally fell after scoring 183 off 158 balls, laced with 17 fours and 7 sixes. Ganguly’s innings was then the fourth highest invidual score in ODIs and was the second in World Cup history (only behind Gary Kirsten’s 188 versus U.A.E at the 1996 World Cup).

India’s total of 373/6 was too tall an ask for the Lankan batsmen. They succumbed to the pressure and were skittled out for just 216, thus ensuring a commanding 157-run win for Mohammad Azharuddin’s men at Taunton.

#1 The Lord of London

Even before he had stepped on the pitch for a Test match, Sourav Ganguly had to deal with a lot of criticisms. While on tour during the 1991-92 tour to Australia, the then 19-year-old Sourav had to unnecessarily face the critics ire.

Reports of being arrogant and refusing to perform 12th man’s duties of carrying water for the players had led to brickbats from the media. The teenager was handed just one chance to prove his talent in the entire tour. Making his ODI debut against West Indies at Brisbane on 11th January 1992, he failed to make a mark. Coming in to bat at as low as number 6, the teenage Ganguly looked a nervous wreck and struggled for 13 balls to score 3, before he was caught plumb before the wicket by Windies medium-pacer Anderson Cummins.

Thus before walking out to bat at Lords on 23rd June 1996 in the 2nd Test versus England, Ganguly had a lot on his mind. But the then 23-year-old lanky southpaw from Bengal had done away with the demons from his past. On a chilly third day morning at London, Ganguly went on to script an innings fit for the Gods. Displaying a sublime array of strokeplay on the off-side, he silenced the English pace trio of Dominic Cork, Alan Mullaly and Chris Lewis, and also his naysayers in the media.

Ganguly struck 131, laced with 20 exquisite boundaries, becoming only the third cricketer to score a ton on debut at Lords. In the process, he also became the 10th Indian to slam a ton on his Test debut. Earning sweet revenge for all the backlash he had earlier received, his strokeplay wowed audiences at Lord’s and all over the world. He was also given the honour of being labelled as ‘The God of off-side’ by compatriot and fellow debutant Rahul Dravid. While former English great and commentator Geoffrey Boycott fondly dubbed him ‘The Prince of Calcutta’.

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Edited by Staff Editor