Sourav Ganguly's greatest knock

Some term his weakness against short deliveries as a perennial problem. Some had been questioning his attitude towards the game following his disastrous lean patch. Critics were urging him to relinquish the captaincy so that he could concentrate on his batting. Termed as controversy’s favourite son, Sourav Ganguly, as always, decided to let his bat do the talking. As the Indian team arrived Down Under in the summer of 2003-04 for their clash against the mighty Aussies, tensions had been boiling over in both the camps. This was destined to be the toughest assignment for the Indian captain.

Here we take a look at perhaps one of the best innings ever played by an Indian overseas.

Fuelled by the rampaging blade of Virender Sehwag, India had made a roaring start in reply of Australia’s 323 in the first innings at the Gabba. Yet another horrendous decision by Steve Bucknor sent the Little Master back to the pavilion and India were now in a precarious situation. As 61/0 became 62/3 in a matter of two overs, the Indian team’s backs were against the wall and fears of yet another follow-on loomed large. The pitch was beginning to look like Perth’s 22 yards in disguise. Jason Gillespie had just begun to hit his stride, mustering two wickets from his eight overs giving away just five runs in the process. Runs had dried up like a shower in the Sahara Desert. In walked a certain left hander who was well known for his weakness towards the short ball. I still remember how the evergreen Tony Grieg had described his arrival from the dressing room, “In walks Sourav Ganguly and you better believe he has a working over.” The Aussie skipper, Steve Waugh, welcomed him with four slips, a gully and a forward short leg in a packed offside field with the combination of the deadly trio of Bracken, Gillespie and Bichel at his disposal. A tentative edge through the slips showed signs of vulnerability in the very first ball. A late swing of bat which went past the outside edge showed clear signs of what was in offer. With plenty of juice and bite for the bowlers, an innings defeat looked pretty much on the cards given Australia’s record at home at that time. The supporters and team management’s fears of the captain’s much talked about meagre batting returns were about to come true. A slight shift of stance in the very next ball which dispatched through the covers for a couple might have seems a flash in the pan, but Ganguly was keeping his cards close to his chest. A delightful square cut showed signs of the southpaw having the stomach for a fight. What followed was poetry in motion scripted by the “Hero Honda” blade which his fans remember till this day. A couple of bouncers which he managed to duck under set the tone of the afternoon with an intriguing battle ahead. Every time he played a shot, he has a stroll on the leg side and had a talk with himself. For the first time in his life, he didn’t use his feet against the spinner in form of Stuart MacGill showed his immaculate game reading capability and strokes of responsibility.

From being a flirty starter who flashes to anything around the off stump, this Sourav Ganguly was a completely different individual. It isn’t difficult to understand why teams from the subcontinent struggle against express pace and fail to adapt to the hostile bouncy wickets in Australia or in South Africa or England. However, the gusto with which Sourav batted coupled with his determination to save his country from the ignominy Down under and the passion with which he punched the air in delight on completing his ton was a wonderful sight. His elegant cover drives, immaculate square cuts, calculated lofts and stupendous change in gear whenever required ranks it as one of those innings that you can’t stop watching. The swagger and stylish elegance coupled with free flowing rhythm of tiring the bowlers was a true spectacle. His determination showed the cricket fraternity how to conquer the Australian wave at Brisbane an he did it with nonchalance. It set the tone for the remainder of the series. An innings that lasted a little less than five hours, studded with eighteen hits to the rope in a masterful 144 out of 196 balls, was one of the best ever knocks played by an Indian overseas.

The hype around this southpaw and expectations from all his fans never seemed like a pressure as he bludgeoned the Aussie attack that left even Steve Waugh in awe. Suddenly, his critics were vanquished.

Much was said about his batting before the series with many critics stating that form had deserted the “Prince of Kolkata”, and it was perhaps the right time to give up the captaincy following the magnificent World Cup run in the same year of 2003. Some said he would fail miserably, some questioned his attitude, some pointed he was done and nothing was left in him. Before India had even landed Down Under, daggers had been drawn. Experts and fans claimed it would be a one sided affair as they predicted the hosts to blow the men from the subcontinent. It took a Sourav Ganguly to change the notion. A catalyst to the famous Border-Gavaskar winning series, a certain Bengali had captured the imagination of the Gabba crowd that savoured the eventful afternoon.