SOURAV GANGULY - THE BORN LEADER

Sourav 'DADA' Ganguly - One LAST Time

2008-11-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

WHEN DADA RESPONDED TO MY POSTER!!!

2008-11-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

Sourav Ganguly, the name we all know, the man behind the modern Team India had moved into his last test for the Team India. It was an equally tough decision for all of us, his fans as it was for him. The last test was the last chance when we could see him playing for the Team India and I did not want to miss the chance. Although I did not have any previous planning to go to Nagpur, which is more than a thousand kilometers from Kharagpur, my current location, but on the first day the fourth test between India and Australia, the last one for Sourav started, I saw India was batting first and India was in such a position that there was high probability of Dada batting on second day. So I thought of going to Nagpur for day 2 but 16 hours train journey without reserved tickets and that too for a single day of test? My brain wasn't allowing me to go but my heart said Yes. I heard the voice of my heart and thankfully Piyush (Pissu), my junior cum friend agreed to go with me for the test. Within an hour or so, we planned our trip. We planned on going with nothing but a few blank posters, marker and a camera with us. Piyush had a lab test till 3 p.m., the time we were supposed to leave our college campus. So we did not have much time to plan anything. We started from Kharagpur railway station at 3.45 p.m. on 6th and reached Nagpur at 7.30 a.m. the next day. What happened in between during that crowded, frustrating journey, I don't want to mention as the focus was on Dada's last test and that was the inspiration behind all this. We reached the stadium by 9.00 p.m. which was some 15-20 kilometers away from the main city of Nagpur.

The Ticket Conspiracy :

When we reached the stadium, our first job obviously was to buy tickets. We searched for the ticket counter but when we asked for second day's ticket, what we had to hear was that we have to buy complete five day's tickets(although one day was already over). People there were highly frustrated by this policy of Vidarbha Cricket Association(VCA) as many of the fans there came for one day only. They were there for Dada only and had travelled a lot. There was some local news channel(UCN News i guess) which was taking interviews of all such fans. We thought of cursing the VCA a bit but then when we saw the news channel's name, we changed our decision and then headed to buy the tickets. We had to buy the tickets for all five days although later on we came to know that we could sell our tickets for the rest of days to the people who 'll come the next day and for the deal, as usual we had the dalals there.

Poor Security System at new VCA Stadium:
After buying the tickets, we headed towards the stadium buying an Indian Tricolor on the way. We had a bag full of blank posters, markers, our digicam and other similar stuff.. When we entered the first gate(Gate No. 3), a lady police told me that we could not bring the plastic rod of the flag with us in the stadium because of security reasons. I took the flag and dropped the rod there itself, then they asked me to switch off and switch on my mobile phone there. I did that too. But then they asked us not to carry the bag with us and now it was a bit frustrating for us. We ignored what they said and kept on going. They did not even bother to check what is in the bag. They did not even check if there is anything our pockets or not. I could not find a single metal detector with the security people. Anyways, we crossed Gate 3 and we had to cross the final entrance to the stadium, Gate for the F-1(West Wing). We thought that there will definitely be some checking on that gate but again the policeman asked me to switch off the mobile phone and then switch it on. I asked him why all this switching off and on business and he replied that it is because these days terrorists are using mobile phone triggered bombs. I don't know what would have happened had I been a terrorist carrying the mobile phone triggered bomb. This was for the first time I entered a public place without being checked by some metal detecting device.

The Match :
Finally we entered the stadium. The match was about to begin in ten minutes of time. RP Singh was trying his hands on batting, probably was making strokes in someone's bat. Then suddenly an almost empty stadium started echoing with the claps of very few specators as Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar entered the ground followed by the Aussies. Then entered the one for whom we were there, Our Prince of Kolkata with his new captain Dhoni. One could easily hear the chants of "Dada ... Dada" from different sections of crowd. The day started with one brilliant shot from Dada for which he got 3 runs on a slow outfield of new VCA ground. Although there was not much of a crowd but whoever was there, was cheering for Dada. Dhoni too was on the crease and at the beginning of the day was scoring runs at a better pace than Dada but still the cheers were reserved for Dada only with few rooting for Dhoni in between.

The SIX :
When Dhoni was scoring some quick runs, Dada slowly and steadily moved into 40s. Krejza started his over and suddenly on the very first ball, we got to see something for which we were there. Dada stepped out of the crease, gave ball a bang and lofted it over the bowler. Billy danced his hands up and up in the air to signal it a six and we all went crazy. Dada was proving his mettle yet again but this time for nothing, may be for himself and for his fans.

The Drinks and the Half Century :

After the vintage six, Sourav took a double and single on the next two balls and moved to 49, one short of the half century. Then we had to wait for drinks break to get over before we could see him complete his 35th test 50. Munaf carried the drinks for Dada and Dhoni whereas a Foster bottle shaped drink van with few girls carried the drinks for the fielding team. We were looking at the Indians all the time. Dada and Dhoni moved away from the pitch and in the throbbing heat both took the shade. Dhoni sat there while Dada drank orange colored juice. Then Munaf called one of the foster girls there; she chatted with munaf for a while and then with Dhoni. I asked Piyush to take the pic of Dhoni with the girl but suddenly the girl turned to Dada and the pic got clicked.

Soon after the drinks end, amidst the chants of "Dada... Dada", the 50 for Sourav came up with a glorious shot.

Me on TV :

When Dada was on 49, we had a cameraman focusing on the crowd of our stands. As soon as Dada reached his 50, we all went crazy, started dancing, waving the tricolor, and cheering Dada for his fifty. On the next delivery, Dada showed the ball the way to the boundary which energized us even more. When I was jumping and shouting for Dada, one of my juniors called me up and said "Tomar aap abhi TV par dikhe". I told this to everyone who was standing there with me and then we started shouting towards the cameraman for more footage of us.

Dada's Sweep For His Fans
Don't know if that was intentional or instantaneous but once Dada was on strike and we the fans on F-Stand were chanting "Dada ... Dada" like anything. Dada looked towards our stand and on the very next ball he swept the ball for a four towards the boundary near us. I'd like to remember it as an intentional shot from Dada for his fans

RP Singh's Middle Finger :

During the lunch, RP continued his batting practice which he was doing at the beginning of the day. Robin Singh was bowling to him. It was a casual practice with Robin Singh throwing balls at RP and RP giving a gentle push to them. We were getting bored as there was nothing much to do during lunch session. So we started shouting at RP, "batting se kya hoga? ... bowling seekh" and we kept on irritating him with similar comments. One of his shots came towards us, he came to the fence to pick the ball, smiled and then showed his middle fingers to us with both hands. We started shouting "Once More... Once More". So he repeated it again.

Dada's Wicket:
Dada again was looking solid in the series and this time more aggressive. He was all set to score a century in his final test, similarly the way he hit in his debut test.

But all the hopes came to an end when Clarke took a brilliant catch of Dada off Kreza. Dada fell 15 runs short of his century. A narrow miss to a finish that could've been a perfect one. Dad a moved back to the pavilion. But suddenly before stepping out of the ground, he stopped, turned back and watched the TV replay again. He knew that he was out but he did not want to leave the ground. Full of pain of missing a great opportunity, Dada did not forget to raise bat for his fans who were giving a standing ovation for the brilliant knock he played in his last test.

Singh Kinng
Whenever Bhajji was hitting a boundary, VCA people played the song "Singh is Kinng" on loud speakers

Mishra Ji Bowling karao
Amit Mishra seemed to be a completely confused man, a new comer indeed. Dhoni sent him to field near our stand and we started shouting his name. Many times he looked at us and we rotated our arms asking him to go and bowl and in reply he also showed us hand as if saying "abhi karaunga". This happened many times and once when he was interacting with us, Dhoni was shouting at him to change his position a bit. After that, every time he came near the stands, we shouted "Mishra Ji Dhoni Bula raha hai".

Dada and the Messages on Giant Screens:
Sms your message to the given number and that message will appear on the giant screen, VCA had this system for the fans sitting out there in stadium. More than 90% of the messages which flashed on the giant screen were for Dada and he too was not disappointing his fans. He kept looking at the screen for the messages. There was a message for Dada from someone from the East wing stand and it said "Dada please look at the East Wing once". Dada read the message and then turned to the east wing and waved his hand towards the fans over there.

One message was "Billy, We love You". But Billy did not notice it and then Dada called him and pointed towards the giant screen to read the message. There were lots of messages from the guy carrying the banner of Dada representing the Orkut fans of Dada, Ankit. The messages were appearing by the name "Bannerboy Ankit". One of the Message was "Dada, You will always remain my GOD"

Dada and Katich's Bat

During the drink breaks while aussie innings, when everybody moved towards the drink van, Dada who was fielding at the farther end came to the stumps, picked up the bat of Katich, took stance 2-3 times and then moved to the drinks. I asked my friend to take a pic of Sourav but he could not spot Sourav. By the time he spotted Sourav, he had moved to the drinks.

Dada Fielding
The crowd wasn't making much noise when India was fielding but whenever Dada stopped any ball or just picked it up from the ground, everytime everyone present there in the stadium clapped for him. By the clap sounds only, you can easily guess that Dada has fielded the ball.

The Nagpurian Schoolboy

While cheering for Dada, we found a guy with Sourav's name painted on his face, a ninth standard guy named Sunny. We asked him for a photograph with us and he happily agreed to it. After that he kept cheering for Dada with us all the time. When the day was about to end, he asked us if we'll come on the rest of the days or not. We told him that we had a train in the evening and he was highly upset to hear that. He requested us a lot to stay there for rest of the days saying "Aaplog nahi rahoge to kaun cheer karega Dada ko? Stadium waise hi khaali hai". We wanted to stay there but was not possible us. He requested us to come to his home before leaving for Kharagpur as his home was near to the railway station. We had lot of pics with him and healso requested to courier those pics to him. But we moved to some other stand towards the end of the game and could not talk to him before leaving. Nor could we take his address or any contact number. But I definitely liked the guy for the affection he showed. Sunny, you will always remain in my sweet memories from Dada's last test.

The last 15 minutes, When Dada responded to my poster :
We had a great time when Dada was batting but the frustration built on when Dada kept fielding at the fence(R-East Wing) that was diametrically opposite to our stands(F-East Wing). Ishant Sharma was fielding at our end and we were repeatedly shouting at him asking him to go there and to ask Sourav to field at our end. But as expected, all went in vain. Last 20 minutes of game were left and I really wanted to have a close look at Dada. I asked Piyush if we can reach the R-East Wing somehow and he said "Let's Try". We packed our bag from there, with a poster in our hands, moved out to the stadium and reached the Gate to the R stand. Thanks to the poor security system of VCA Stadium, nobody stopped us in doing so. Only the one who was checking the tickets at the entry asked us for the ticket. We requested him to let us in there in the R wing as dada was there and he agreed to it. We entered the R-stand which was almost empty with only 15-20 people there. I straightaway reached the fence with a poster in my hand saying "Thanks Dada for this TEAM INDIA".

Dada was turning back towards the boundary when I started waving the poster asking Sourav to read it. Dada did not disappoint me as he read the poster first and then gave a look at me, bowed his head a bit giving a welcome gesture for the thanks in the banner. At first, I could not believe what went on there but then someone from the back said "Dada ne tumhara poster padha" and another guy standing at some distance from me on my right asked me to show him what was written on the poster. I was jumping like a kid who gets a chocolate from his father. That was one of the best moments of my life.

We clicked a few pictures of Dada from there and then the battery of our camera got discharged. We asked Dada to go for the bowling and were reminding him of Toronto where he took 5 wickets but that turned out to be the last over of the day and with that it was Stumps for the day.

Tomorrow, on the fourth day of the last test, Dada will possibly again get some chance to bat but this will be Dada's last chance to bat for the Team India. Tomorrow will be the last time when we could see Dada's name in the Indian batting line up. Everything will come to an end all of a sudden, everything. Those towering sixes, those elegant off-drives, that heavenly timing, last time we'll be able to see. But one thing I'm proud of is the attitude that Sourav has given to the Indian Cricket. None of any Cricketer's personal records will matter once he is retired but what Dada has done will always reflect in this modern TEAM INDIA. Dada may retire from the team but his Dadagiri will never.

As a memory of Dada's last test, I have kept the tricolor I used during match, the gate pass to the stadium and the poster to which Dada responded, with me.

for the pics, you can go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/grvtomar/DadaSLastTestAtNagpur2ndDay#

SOURAV GANGULY - ACHIEVEMENTS

2007-08-07T11:45:00.001-07:00

AWARDS TO SOURAV GANGULY

Sportstar Person of the Year - 1998 Awarded by the Sportstar Magazine

Arjuna Award -1998 For outstanding performance in cricket

CEAT Cricketer of the Year 99-00 , Cash prize of 5 lakh rupees and a trophy

CEAT Indian Captain of the Year 01-02 For outstanding achievement as leader

Award for Cricketing Excellence 2003 Presented to men who made "the difference"

Padma Shri 2004 4th highest civilian award in India

Rammohan Roy Award 2004 For outstanding performance as captain

SOURAV IN WISDEN

Sourav has 4 of his innings in top 100 ODI innings declared by Wisden Cricket and 3 in top 25.

     21)Ganguly S C 141* Ind vs SA, 2000, Nairobi.

        24)Ganguly S C 141 Ind vs Pak, 2000, Adelaide Oval.

        25)Ganguly S C 183 Ind vs SL, 1999, County Ground.

        71)Ganguly S C 153* Ind vs NZ, 1999, Captain Roop 
Singh Stadium.

Sourav has 3 of his innings in Top 5 ODI innings played by Indian batsman as declared by Wisden Cricket.

2) Ganguly S.C 141* 196.71 India Vs South Africa
2000, Nairobi Gymkhana Club Ground

4) Ganguly S.C 141 194.35 India Vs Pakistan,
2000, Adelaide Oval

        5) Ganguly S.C 183 194.07 India Vs Sri Lanka,
   1999, County Ground, Taunton.


SOURAV IN ODIs

·  Second fastest player to reach 10,000 ODI runs.

·  Fastest to reach
multiples of 7,000,
8,000,  9,000 ODI Runs.

·  Second Fastest after
Viv Richards to reach
6,000 ODI Runs in 147
Innings and Sachin
Tendulkar to 10,000 in
263 Innings.
                                     
                         Sourav Ganguly... reaching the 10,000-run mark.

· In the Sahara Cup 1997, Saurav Ganguly set a World Record for 4 consecutive Man of the Match Awards and later he was declared as the Man of The series also.

·   Sourav is the highest run scorer
in the world in the
calendar year of

1997 - with 1338 runs

1999 - with 1767 runs

2000 - with 1579 runs

in 1998, he was the 2nd highest
total run scorer in the
world after Sachin Tendulakr.
Sachin scored 1894 runs while sourav scored 1328
runs.

Which means he ruled the world cricket in batting
for 4 years.He scored 1114 runs in year 2002 also.

·   Holds the record, shared withMahendra Singh Dhoni,
for the second highest score by an Indian cricketer
in an ODI — 183, against Sri Lanka in 1999.

·   Held the record, shared with Sachin Tendulkar, for
the highest first wicket partnership for India in a
ODI match, 258, against Kenya in 2001. This record
was bettered by Sri Lankan opening pair of Jayasuriya
and Tharanga in 2006 at Headingly.

·   Was involved in the first 300 run ODI partnership
with Rahul Dravid.

·   Sourav with Sachin tops the list of Highest overall
partnership runs by openers with 5799 runs(17
hundred runs partnership which too is a record).

·   Sourav with Sachin tops the list of Highest overall
partnership runs by a pair playing at any position
with total 7417 runs(22 hundred runs partnership
which too is a record) till date and while his
partnershipship with Rahul Dravid is on the 5^th spot
in this list with a total of 4245 runs.

·   Sixth on the all time list with 30 man of the match
awards.

·   First Indian to score an ODI century against
Australia in Australia.(who says he is afraid
of fast tracks :P)

·  Sourav is among those 9 cricketers of the world who
scored a century and took
4 wickets in the same match.
He first scored 130* and l
ater took 4/21 against SL
in 1999 at Nagpur.

·  Sourav is among those 12
cricketers of the world
who scored a half century
and took 5 wickets in the
same match. He scored 71*
and took 5/34 against Zim
in 2000 at Kanpur.

·  Sourav Ganguly in ICC World Cup 2002/03
scored a total of 465 runs and this performance is on
5^th spot in the list of Most runs in an series by a
captain with unfornately Greg Chappell topping the
list :D

·  In Feb 2005: Climbed to the number 3 spot in the list
of most sixes hit by a batsman in ODI with 168 sixes
in 247 matches.

SOURAV IN WORLD CUP

·  Sourav jointly(with Mark Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar and
Ricky Ponting) holds the record of scoring maximum
number of centuries (4) in world cup.

·  Sourav holds the record of scoring maximum number of
centuries in a single WC (3 centuries in WC-03) jointly
with Mark Waugh and Mathew Hayden.

·  Sourav holds the record of scoring most runs through
boundaries in an innings in any World Cup match.
He scored 110 runs by boundaries in his mammoth 183
score against SL in taunton in WC-99.

·  Sourav’s 183 is the second highest score in an inning
by any cricketer with Kirsten topping the list with 188*.

·  Sourav with Dravid holds the record of heighest
partnership of 318 runs in WC while the 2^nd spont in
the list too goes to Sourav with Sachin who scored 244
runs together against Namibia in WC-03.


SOURAV IN TESTS

·   One of 3 batsman who made tons in their 1st two Test innings.

·  Sourav was only the 3rd batsman
in the world to score a century
on debut at Lords.

·  His 131 still remains the
highest by any batsmanon his
debut at Lord’s.

·  In May 2004: Joined the top
20 list of players whohit the
most sixes in Test cricket,
with 41 sixes.




SOURAV AS CAPTAIN

·  Captained India in a record 49 Test matches.

·  Led India to a record 21 Test
wins.

·  India's most successful Test
captain.

·  India's most successful ODI
captain.

·  In the 2nd Test vs. Australia
at Kolkata in the
Border-Gavaskar Trophy,
Sourav became only
the 3rd captain in Cricket history to lead a team
to victory after following on. India went on to
win the series 2-1.

·  In Mar - Apr 2004: Became the first Indian captain
to win an ODI and Test series in Pakistan.

·  In April 2005: Became only the 3rd cricketer and 2nd
Indian after Mohammed Azharuddin to make 5000 ODI runs
as skipper in the Pepsi Cup vs. Pakistan.

QUOTES BY SOURAV GANGULY

2007-08-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

source - souravganguly.net

Nobody is a born captain. Most of the time, I have gone on instinct.

- When his captaincy was criticized.

I know what I am. People can label me as they like but it upsets me to hear the word arrogant being used against me. I am not arrogant. Not at all.

- On being called arrogant.

He’s a champion at everything. I really admire him. I am very impressed with the way he approaches life.

- On Rahul Dravid.

The thing I like most about Sachin is his intensity. After being in the game for so long, he still has the same desire to do well for India in any international match. I tell you what, this man is a legend.

- On Sachin Tendulkar.

I am not surprised.

- On Sachin Tendulkar getting 10,000 ODI runs.

Now I was not only the Prince of Calcutta, but I was the monarch of Indian Cricket. I could not comprehend the feelings and emotions that were rising inside me.

- On being appointed captain.

I am here to win games not popularity contests.

- On being criticized by the English media while touring England in July 2002.

I see things differently after Sana’s birth. An event like this changes everybody and it has changed me too. I have become more mature.

- On the birth of his daughter, Sana.

We went around for a long time. She is a lovely person and now we are married and blessed with a beautiful daughter, Sana. She is a terrific woman and has adjusted to our joint family so well that she does not even have time for me! So it’s all happy on this front. "

- About his wife, Dona.

We obviously don't get support from outside, so we support each other and will continue to do so whatever happens in the rest of the tournament.

- On why the ‘huddle’ was invented during the World Cup.

After all the rubbish that was published in the media, I thought it was all over. It hurt very badly.

- Reflecting back on the disastrous Australian Tour in 1992 where media was full of stories on his attitude problems.

I enjoy captaincy. A Captain has to take the responsibility of guarding the interest of his players.

- After being named Captain of the Indian cricket team.

I have scored centuries in matches where Shoaib has bowled and to hear that I'm uncomfortable against him is rather surprising.

- Denying observations that he cannot face Shoaib Akhtar.

Every individual needs to be handled differently. One person might need a pat on the back. Another, an arm around the shoulder. But to seniors like Azhar, Sachin, Ajay, Anil and Javagal, a quiet word would do.

- On how he handles his superstar teammates

There have been angry reactions back home and that is understandable because of our poor showing against Australia. But true supporters are this who not only jump up with the team’s victory but also stand by the team in times of defeats. I was shocked and disappointed to hear what the families of Dravid and Kaif have gone through.

- About the reaction of angry fans back home after India lost badly to Australia in the early stages of the 2003 World Cup.

One off day shattered our World Cup dream.

- After India got thrashed in the 2003 World Cup Final against Australia.

I am very hard on people on the field. But once we are off it, I forget the whole issue and don’t bring it up.

- On how he is as a captain.

Blood came out like water as soon as the gauze was removed. This is life.

- Talks about the boil on his thigh that forced him to miss the Mohali Test in October 2003.

In no other country is a team written off even before its departure.

- Slams the Indian critics who predicted that India would be thrashed by the home team when they toured Australia in December 2003.

I believe in my ability to score runs and that is what I look to do. It happens sometimes that people get after you. But you have to take in your stride. It’s a professional sport so one has to go ahead.

- After he scored a ton against Australia at Brisbane and proved all his detractors wrong.

We know, and they know, that we can beat them.

- said a rather cocky Sourav after beating Australia.

That's in the past now. We mature as time goes on and I've been captain for three years now, so you start realising things and go ahead.

- Sourav plays down his gamesmanship which got him on the wrong side of Steve Waugh during the 2001 series in India.

You’ve all seen it on TV. We all know the truth don’t we?

- Commenting on a beamer from Shoaib Akhtar during India’s tour of Pakistan in March 2004.

I am a big fan of Kaif. He bats at no. 7, the most difficult position in one-day cricket and he keeps coming up with knocks like this one.

- He said of Kaif after the ecstatic victory in the 4th ODI in Lahore in the Samsung Cup 2004 that kept India in the series.

We will try and pull the chain and stop the train midway!

- When asked how his team plan to counter Shoaib Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express.

To be honest I do not believe in sitting back and taking things which are not right. If it is right, I am up to it, I listen to you, and try to rectify. But if you are not, I am not a sort of person to sit back and listen.

- Ganguly told PTI in an exclusive interview.

I was probably the most loved man when we beat Australia in a Test series a few years back. But I am often the most hated man in India.

- Sourav said about fans in India and their angry reactions when the Team India loses.

(Smiles)... Doesn't make me a rebel.

- On marrying Dona against the wishes of his family.

Don't stand under the sun waiting for me. I am not going to say anything.

- Sourav refuses to comment on his exclusion in October 2005.

I told my boys that I have kept my record of losing finals intact.

- Sourav Ganguly lets out a wry smile after East Zone lose in the Duleep Trophy final.

Whatever is appearing in the media claiming he has attitude problems and doesn't have good relations with his colleagues is all rubbish. I myself talked to the senior players and there was not a single complaint against Sourav.

- BCCI President Sharad Pawar rubbishes talks of Sourav being a 'demotivator'.

Lara is blessed with great ability. Both Lara and Sachin together with Gavaskar are the three legends of the game. – Sourav on Lara's record 34th Test 100.

It happens... it happens when two friends fight. I was angry, especially when it came from someone whom you knew for quite some time. You say lot of things when you are angry, but they may be or may not be from the heart. – Dada on spat with Chappell and patching up if given a chance.

Then, in the 2003 series (on India's tour to Australia), Steve (Waugh) said that let's be on time for the toss now. I said: 'If you behave, I will'. - Sourav

It's true, a lot of people said I should retire but I still feel I have it in me to play those innings again, and perhaps even better ones. Why else would I be fighting to get back into the Indian team? – Dada on whether he can return to International cricket after being dropped.

Sourav and I try to spend more time with our daughter and we are more busy in grooming her as a good human being. – Dona when asked if Sana would be a cricketer or a dancer.

God has been kind... What else can I say? Nothing would’ve happened without God... I’ve been blessed. - Sourav on his return to the Indian team in Jan 2007.

I don't feel any kind of pressure. There would be some pressure as captain but I am going as a normal player, so I am free. - Sourav before leaving for the 2007 World Cup in West Indies.

Signature By Sourav Ganguly

T Shirt Act by Sourav Ganguly

2007-08-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Here is the part of an article by Anshul Chaturvedi showing the importance of theT Shirt act by Sourav Ganguly for Indian Cricket

and here is th elink to the article

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Delhi_Times/The_Indian_sledge-_hammers/articleshow/2258986.cms

THE PHOENIX - SOME ARTICLES SHOWING THE FALL AND THE RISE

2007-08-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

This is a compilation of some old articles following the fall and the rise of the Prince of Kolkata .

Greg Became The Coach of The Indian Cricket team

This is the story of a Phoeninx who emerged from ashes. Once it was almost declared that his career is now over but he is back in the team now with a bang. He made a comeback and repeated the history of his own comeback in 1996 after being dropped in 1992. He surely is the king of all comebacks. His comeback is an ispiration to not only his fans but to his critics too
HATS OFF TO THIS GREAT MAN WHO NEVER QUITS.
More than his cricketing skills, i'm his fan for his attitude.
HE SIMPLY ROXXXX

comments aare always welcome :)

SOURAV GANGULY - ALWAYS A SAVIOR FOR THE INDIAN CRICKET

2007-08-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

Year 1996.

After Navjot Singh Sidhu, players like V Rathour, S Somasunder, A. jadeja and Nayan Mongia were tried as the partners of Sachin Tendulkar for the opening slot in ODIs. India was facing an accute shortage of a good opener at that time.
Then came Sourav Ganguly, who was dropped from the team after giving only a chance to him in 1992 and was accused for many non cricketing stuffs. A half century in his very first ODI match as an opener provided India the man they were searching for. Sachin and Sourav as openers proved themselves to best opening partners in the world. Later one was called THE GOD OF THE CRICKET and another THE GOD OF THE OFFSIDE. This left hand right hand combination was among the deadliest combos in the World Cricket and was no doubt the fear factor for World's any bowling line up. They were truly the "AWESOME TWOSOME" and are now again back to the business together on opening slot after Virender Sehwag being dropped from the side. A partnership that began its golden journey in late 1996 became undoubtedly the best opening pair in the history of World Cricket that spans over three decades.
Sourav along with Sachin took India from a shortage to records. A guy who once was neglected by the selectors became the savior of the Indian Cricket when India was really struggling with the shortage of an ODI opener.

Year 2000.
India lost five tests in a row under Sachin ( 3 in Australia against Aussies and 2 in India against RSA ). Sachin stepped down from the captainship. Media reported the groupism in the Indian Team with many senior players in the team. Again a LEADER was needed to set all these problems.
Then again came Sourav Ganguly. He was elected as the Indian Captain to succeed Sachin Tendulkar when he stepped down from the captainship. Sourav played with three ex captains (Azahar, Jadeja and Sachin) and the reportedly called South Lobby (Srinath, Venkatesh and Kumble) under him but he managed it all beautifully well and won the ODI series against RSA by 3-2.
But this was not the end for the problems in Indian Cricket. The match fixing scandal thrashed Indian Cricket into pieces and India had to lose many senior players. Kapil too left the post of coach after the scandal.
Again India was in a big trouble and after the loss of many senior players, all the responsibility to build a completely new team was on the shoulders of Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly.
Then again with the kiwi coach John Wright, Sourav rebuilt the indian cricket team and changed it into TEAM INDIA which was known for its never say die and always fighting attitude. Sourav fought with selectors for youngsters like Yuvi, Bhajji and Veeru for their positions in the team. Sourav lead this TEAM INDIA to the finals of two ICC Championships and then finally to the WORLD CUP-2003 finals.Again it was Sourav who as captain became the savior of Indian Cricket and took the team from lows to great heights. Many of the cricket experts declared the team lead by Sourav (THE TEAM INDIA) as the best ever Indian Cricket Team.

Year 2006.
Sourav was not in the team as he was again dropped accusing him for a lot of non cricketing stuffs like his policy to "divide n rule".
The young Indian team set a record of continuous 17 wins chasing the target. Everybody forgot Sourav at that time as the team was doing great. But again most of those wins were in Indian Subcontinent. But true picture of the Indian Cricket Team became clear when they had to play outside the subcontinent. Continuous defeats in WI, DLF Cup, ICC Championship in home and then in South Africa. Again Indian Cricket needed someone to save them and then again Sourav was called back. And as a result India again started winning and Sourav became the scriptor of most of the wins. They won test in RSA, won ODI series aginst WI and SL, WC was an exception but sourav performed there too, and now again the test win in England.
Sourav became the savior for the Indian Cricket Team.
He was insulted again and again by the cricket board, was dropped again and again accusing him of many non cricketing stuffs but still it was always Sourav Ganguly who brought the glories to Indian Cricket everytime. He repeated the history everytime. Few people call him the good luck for the team. Whatever it may be but he truly is the SAVIOR OF THE INDIAN CRICKET.

Reader's comments are always welcome.

FOR THOSE WHO CHERISH OLD GOOD MEMORIES - Part 2

2007-08-02T09:50:00.001-07:00

Flintoff ran out Anil Kumble off the fourth ball, and then dismissed last man Javagal Srinath with a perfect yorker off the next.He ran down the wicket twirling his shirt around his head in football style in celebration .

Fintoff is congratulated by his team-mates after the win

As England's cricketers cavorted with delight on securing their thrilling five-run win in Mumbai, SouravGanguly rose from his chair and kicked an empty water bottle away in disgust.

England's celebrations were not a happy sight for Ganguly

This is what our hero and the thn captain Sourav Ganguly felt after that defeat and the celebrations by

England

. He admitted in future too that this was a painful moment of his life. But this defeat made him more strong and determinant to beat

England

and take the revenge and he did that in Nats final.

Here is an a part of the interview of Sourav on the very next day after the Natwest Final win.

Painful memories erased, says Ganguly

London, July 14
Indian captain Saurav Ganguly said India’s sensational two-wicket win over England at Lord’s yesterday erased the painful memories of the one-day series against that team at home early this year.

“I have no words to explain. It has been outstanding,” said Ganguly of India’s victory after having remained literally glued to his seat throughout India’s epic run chase in the afternoon.

It was clear that not clinching the home series against England after leading 2-1 had rankled Ganguly.

For, soon after Kaif and Zaheer completed the winning run, he took off his shirt in the manner Andrew Flintoff had done in Mumbai as England won the nerve-wrecker of a match in the final encounter.

Ganguly admitted what happened that January evening was a painful moment for him as an Indian captain.

He also said the Lord’s win maintained the team’s unbeaten record in a one-day series in 2002.

“We have won every series we have played this year. The word final is missing but we have won the deciders,” said Ganguly, making a reference to critics’ point that India has struggled to win finals in recent past.

This shows his agression and his will to win. He wanted to give it back to his opponents and he did that. That was really the most proud feeling for any Indian supportor.That was something which an Indian can never forget and was surely a moment of proud for us being an Indian who have the guts to reply everything back to the opposition when it comes to the nation’s pride

But its sad to see that few of our own ppl never felt proud when sourav took off his shirt after that win in Lords nd for them sourav tarnished the gentlemen game's image
for them, the game's image is more important thn the Country's image. DISGUSTING.

For me Sourav Rox and will keep rocking.

GO DADA GO :)

FOR THOSE WHO CHERISH OLD GOOD MEMORIES

2007-08-02T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is a compilation of 2 old articles when we really got to see the agression by this Indian Captain, Our Hero - SOURAV GANGULY. He showed the wrold that an Indian too can be agressive when needed and can reply the oppositions in their language. Here are the articles related to his clash with Steve Waugh.
Source - bbc sports.

Article - 1
Monday, 2 April, 2001, 11:26 GMT 12:26 UK

Ganguly winds up Waugh

Flashpoint: Ganguly dismisses Waugh at Indore

BBC Sport Online reflects a growing animosity between Australian skipper Steve Waugh and India's Sourav Ganguly.

On the face of it, Steve Waugh is not the type of man with whom to pick an argument.

Perhaps the most committed cricketer on the planet, his approach has rubbed off on his teammates and helped make Australia the dominant force of the modern era.

Although respectful of the game's traditions, he is no stranger to the not so noble art of sledging.

But a Test batting average of over 50 and a willingness to exert every last drop of energy on his team's behalf have won him admirers all over the cricket world.

Waugh has a compassionate side - to the children of the Udayan home in Calcutta he is a hero for his fund-raising efforts on their behalf.

Late arrival

Waugh: Test defeat left sour taste

It is a different story, however, when he crosses the boundary ropes.

A 2-1 defeat in the Test series in India - after a run of 16 successive victories - has been hard to stomach for the Aussies.

And relations between Waugh and home skipper Sourav Ganguly have now taken a turn for the worse.

Waugh has accused his opposite number of deliberately turning up late for the toss throughout the Test and one-day series.

"There's so much to do in the mornings, knocking up, talking to the selectors, that I may have been late by a few minutes," Ganguly responded.

But Waugh was even more incensed at Indore after an incident in which, he claims, Ganguly tried to claim the coin had come down in his favour, when it had not in fact done so.

Provocation

We're ahead in the series and intend staying there

Sourav Ganguly

Ganguly insists he simply bent over the coin to see which side was uppermost and could not tell whether it was heads or tails.

"I could not be bothered what Waugh says. I am within my rights to seek a clarification from the match referee," he said.

Indian newspaper The Hindu believes, however, Ganguly has decided to give Australia a taste of their own medicine.

His approach is understandable if, as has been claimed, he has been subjected to 'verbals' by the Australian fielders whenever he has been at the crease.

Ganguly's reaction when he dismissed Waugh at Indore suggested that their rivalry has now become personal.

One thing is certain - Waugh will not back down from a challenge.

And like elephants, Aussies do not forget.

Article - 2

Ganguly: Aussies acted like schoolboys

Even the toss caused controversy

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has accused the departing Australian team of childishness.

Despite captaining the side that ended Australia's record breaking unbeaten Test run, Ganguly is apparently still seething with bitterness.

"It just puts me off, they are complaining just about anything and everything," the Sunday Age newspaper quoted Ganguly as saying of the visitors.

They are supposed to be a good team but to see them complaining every time is just schoolboy stuff

Sourav Ganguly

"They are supposed to be a good team but to see them complaining every time is just schoolboy stuff.

"There seemed to be just too much of it, which started right from the beginning of the series."

Opposite number SteveWaugh targeted Ganguly even before Australia arrived for their three-test tour.

Waugh expressed concern Ganguly would receive specially-prepared pitches to suit his side as the world champion Australians attempted to win their first series in India in 31 years.

India ended Australia's world-record winning streak of 16 matches in the second test and won the series 2-1 before Australia salvaged some pride by claiming the limited overs series 3-2.

Waugh complained late in the tour that Ganguly had arrived late for the toss "seven times" and that Ganguly even once tried to wrongly claim he had won the toss before the match referee intervened.

He is a very seasoned pro and knows the business of cricket inside out

Ganguly on Steve Waugh

Ganguly averaged under 20 with the bat in the limited overs and test series as Waugh's men made their dislike for Ganguly obvious whenever he strode to the crease.

"He is a very seasoned pro and knows the business of cricket inside out," Ganguly said.

"He may have realised here that there are others who can play the same mental game," added Ganguly.

"I don't know and do not care whether he respects me or not. But I have a lot of respect for captains and players around the world.

"There were some words exchanged on the field, but that happens in the heat of battle. Also, we proved that they are not unbeatable."

Waugh said: "We got along reasonably well in the end. It's no good airing dirty laundry in public."

The Australian players arrive back home on Monday.

Sourav – Controversial but still A True Achiever

2007-08-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Compiled frm : Sourav – A Biography, Sourav - A Fire Within, Cricinfo.com, Wekipedia

India v West Indies at Brisbane - Jan 11, 1992

19 yrs old Sourav got a chance to made his entry into International Cricket when India was 4 wickets down for only 35 runs. Sourav faced 13 deliveries ans scored only 3 runs before he got lbw out on Cummins’ ball, the Man of The Match for the day. He was dropped after that single chance he got to make some impression ans was blamed for a lot of other things.

A young Sourav had to face more than just the frustration of being dropped after one opportunity. Rumors of his attitude problems and lack of respect for the senior players hurt Sourav the most. There were also reports in certain newspapers that Sourav refused to carry drinks on the field for a senior cricketer, which he denies till date. He was given a raw deal on his first tour when some prominent cricketers tagged him to be ‘arrogant’ and a ‘boy with no cricketing talent’. He was ignored for well over four years and many thought that his days as an international cricketer were numbered.

He was just 19 when he was a surprise choice for the tour to Australia in 1991-92 which consisted of five Test matches, the one-day tri-series also involving the West Indies, followed by the World Cup.

Ganguly’s opportunities were somewhat limited and he was not retained for the World Cup.

During the tour, sections of the Indian media were reportedly fed information (or misinformation) about Ganguly and his alleged “attitude problems” by the administrative manager, Ranbir Singh Mahendra, the secretary of the Haryana Cricket Association.

These pertained to Ganguly’s apparent reluctance to carry out regular 12th man chores such as taking the drinks onto the field and also handling equipment such as shoes.

The word was, he considered such tasks to be menial and beneath his dignity.

This is what Sunil Gavaskar (who has since become one of Ganguly’s most ardent supporters) wrote in his syndicated column that appeared in the Indian media on January 22, 1992: “…within the team he seems to be an object of fun because of his reluctance to perform his chores as the reserve player. No wonder he has been nicknamed “maharaj” since he leaves the menial jobs like carrying drinks on others while he sits watching them do it.”

Though the charges were never proven, the mud did stick and the teenager found himself consigned to the backwaters of Indian cricket for the next four years.

Following his triumphant comeback on the 1996 tour of England, he spent the next couple of years trying to dispel what he felt were unfair accusations leveled against him by Mahendra.

One explanation he gave during a TV interview was that Mahendra was at loggerheads with Jagmohan Dalmiya, then the secretary of both the CAB and the BCCI and so took it out on him, being from Kolkata.

Abbas Ali Baig, the former Test batsman who was Cricket Manager on the tour had a somewhat different story. “Sourav’s nickname of ‘Maharaj’ may have worked against him. An impression gained ground that he was perhaps too laid-back. Some of the other players on the tour who also did not get many chances to play the big matches would be up early and were quick to their workouts and ‘nets’. Sourav was perhaps not always one of this overly conscientious lot. Mr. Mahendra appeared to be of the firm opinion that Sourav was lazy, casual and disinterested. I feel Sourav was a victim of circumstances obtaining on the tour.”

A few years later, however, Sourav came back strong and more determined than ever to make his mark in the world of cricket. He made his debut along with Rahul Dravid in the 2nd test vs. England at Lord’s. Sourav amazed cricketers and critics alike when he smashed a century in his debut Test. He went on to score a century in the very next innings as well. More success came his way when Sourav was named ‘man of the series’ in his Debut.

SOURAV THE CAPTAIN

No one had thought that a lad ridiculed as a non talent, brushed off as being high headed, accused of showing disrespect towards seniors and having attitude problems would one day lead the Indian cricket team. Yet, Sourav Ganguly is now in the hot seat as the captain of the Indian Cricket team. Sourav was appointed as captain when Sachin Tendulkar, shocked everyone by stepping down from his captaincy after India’s disastrous tour Down Under in 1999. As vice captain to Tendulkar, Sourav was the most obvious choice but he had a competition with Ajay Jadeja too.

The 2-1 victory over the Australians at home in early 2001 has since been billed as “the greatest Test series ever.” It was also one of the most acrimonious.

Steve Waugh’s ‘mental disintegration’ plans blew up in his face and for the first time an Indian cricket team was seen fighting with fire.

It all went overboard at times but there is no doubt the Indian captain’s ploy of getting up the nose of his opponents and the captain in particular worked to perfection.

Ganguly became a figure of hate in the visiting Australian media, widely perceived as being manipulated by the team management.

It was the comments of Ian Chappell in a local English daily on the eve of the second Test at Kolkata that saw him responding fiercely.

Chappell claimed the captain was arrogant in dealing with his own players and “that is the biggest threat to his tenuous hold on the captaincy,” claiming he did not treat his teammates with respect.

Ganguly smelt a rat. He blasted Chappell for his comments on the relationships within the team, alleging they had been made “at the behest of somebody else.”

Ganguly’s combative nature has often brought him into conflict with umpires and match referees, culminating in the Mike Denness affair in South Africa late in 2001.

And who can forget that shirt take off incident at Lords by hime after a great victory. That was a best suited reply to the Britishers ( flintoff) who did this in India after “equaling” the series. This act by sourav shows that how much he was hurt by that defeat and how eager he was to give it back to them. That was something which an Indian can never forget and was surely a moment of proud for us being an Indian who have the guts to reply everything back to the opposition when it comes to the nation’s pride.

The cricket world had gotten too used to the stereotype of the meek Indian cricketer. All that has changed under Ganguly, perhaps for the better.

Sourav felt that every young player should play two years of domestic cricket before being selected for international assignments. He also said that every newcomer should be given at least five games to prove himself. Perhaps, he being at a receiving end of a raw deal that threatened to ruin his international cricket career enabled Sourav to understand the insecurities of other newcomers in the team better than his predecessors. Sourav backed the youngsters in the team tremendously and thus, gained the love of his teammates.
Sourav also was not shy of taking on responsibility. He showed that he can be a leader of a team, which has greats like Sachin and Dravid in the side, without any problems. Under Sourav's leadership, India got back the winning habit which the team had forgotten.
Today, Sourav Ganguly is the most successful Indian captain leaving Mohammed Azharuddin’s previous record of 14 test wins behind. Sourav has won 21 Tests as captain, of which more than 7 wins have come overseas! His success rate is an amazing 42%, the highest ever by an Indian captain.
Under his captaincy, the Indian team achieved remarkable heights, including the Test series win against Australia at home in 2001, reaching the World Cup Final in 2003, and winning both the one-day and Test series in Pakistan in 2004.
In just a few years, Sourav rewrote the rules of captaincy. Unlike some of his predecessors, he was impartial, non-parochial, and forever pushed his players to perform better. Off the field, Sourav’s interactions with the media, his fans, and detractors were uncompromisingly honest and earned him the respect of cricket followers everywhere.

His dispute with then coach Greg Chappell resulted in many headlines during 2005 and early 2006. Greg Chappell emailed the BCCI stating that Ganguly was unfit to lead India and that his "divide and rule" behaviour was damaging the team. This email was leaked to the media and resulted in huge backlash from Ganguly's fans. Eventually due to his poor form and differences with the coach he was stripped of his captaincy and dropped from the team.

The career again seemed to be ended and many senior cricketers adviced him that he should quit now but they forgot that he is the same cricketer who was adviced some similar things when he made his debut in 1992.

After being dropped from the side for almost eight months, Ganguly was recalled to the Test team for the series against South Africa in December 2006, after an injury to Yuvraj Singh. And at present he is the most dependable batsman in the team who is scoring a half century in almost every match.

Despite of all the controversies he had in his career, he always emerged out as an achiever.

LOVE HIM OR HATE HIM BUT U CAN’T IGNORE HIM

He is the man who always did greats for his team but is not liked by many of the people may be because he has the guts to oppose wrong things, may be because for them he is arrogant, may be because he is aggressive. The guy who changed the picture of the India Team and made it TEAM INDIA got insulted by that team itself when he was dropped and it was said that his career is almost over. When he made the comeback, it was said that others may not feel comfortable with his presence or he himself may not feel comfortable in the team as he was insulted and nobody supported him in his bad days, but he still made his comeback and now again is scoring very consistenly and is contributing most to the Indian Totals.

He started his career with controversies, thn emerged as a winner and become a very important member of the team and finally the captain of the team. But once his bad patch started, his capabilities were questioned by thn rulers of the Indian cricket and he was insulted. In his bad days, his teammates too dint support him.But he still made a comeback in the same team and again proved his importance.

He is truely following Rabindranath’s song “Ekla Chalo Re” (the song exhorts the listener to continue his or her journey, despite abandonment or lack of support from others)

He is an inspiration for his fans

Alongwith his great allround records as a player, he was a great captain too who took Indian Cricket to great heights and taught India how to be aggressive against any opposition.

May be Sachin Tendukar is “THE GOD” of the Indian Cricket

May be Rahul Dravid is “THE WALL” of Indian Cricket

But truly
SOURAV GANGULY IS “THE MONARCH OF INDIAN CRICKET”