He entered with style, made a comeback in style and left in style, leaving people asking for more. There are a bagful of achievements to his credit but what Sourav Chandidas Ganguly will be remembered most for is the revolutionary change in mindset he brought to Indian cricket and Indian cricketers.
Previously when Indian teams walked on to the turf outside the sub-continent, everyone thought that a draw would be a more than satisfactory result. It was Sourav who inspired his men into playing fearless cricket and it is his legacy that Mahendra Singh Dhoni carries forward.
Tears barely escaped surfacing as an emotional “Maharaja” crossed the rope one last time in the India jersey at Nagpur. It was a befitting gesture from Dhoni to let Sourav lead the side for the last few overs. As a fan of cricket in general and Indian team in particular it was nice to see the younger lot acknowledge the contribution and achievements of the seniors.
Some news channel reported that the team will be throwing a big party for Dada at the team hotel and that Dhoni had also exchanged his Captain’s suite at the team hotel with Ganguly’s. It is a small but sweet gesture but one that would seldom cross minds of most people in the world.
He deserves every bit of it. After all he is the man who has the biggest hand in the state of happy affairs that Indian cricket finds itself today in. We have always had the talent but players have lacked the tenacity and the aggressive attitude required to tumble tough opponents. Ganguly instilled this tenacity and the self belief that, “Yes we can”.
While his famous T-shirt furling act at the Lords’ balcony demonstrated the tit for tat aggression he stood for, his persistence to include Harbhajan in the 2001 test series against Australia accounted for the belief he had in himself and his men. He provided impetus with attacking shots at the head as India were about to rewrite history with their successful chase of England’s 325 at Lords in the Natwest final.
People may remember him as the “Leader par excellence” and the “God of the off side” but equal charisma lay in his effortless clearing of the fence especially the demolition with disdain of left arm bowlers.
He may have retired and might not be a part of the Indian dressing room but for us Dada is not a cricketer but a phenomenon which will run with the Indian team till they are ready to play aggressive and ready to take the bull by the horns and whenever they say, “Yes we can”.
Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting could be in for some bashing from all cricketing corners including the media because of his baffling strategy to up the over-rate when everybody thought that Australia would look to bundle out the Indians and get one hand on the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
India were cruising along in the first session on the fourth day of the Nagpur test but lost momentum after wickets fell in a heap after lunch. Tendulkar was run out at the stroke of tea, leaving India tottering at 166 for the loss of six wickets. India were just 252 runs ahead and everyone awaited intriguing two hours of cricket post-tea. The experts predicted a quick brushing of the Indian tail by the Aussie pacers, especially with the ball reversing.
Interestingly the proceedings started with all spin from Cameron White and Jason Krejza. When Lee expressed his desire to bowl, Michael Clarke told him that they were nine overs behind the rate. Krejza kept bowling from one end while White was replaced after two overs by Michael Hussey, who was later replaced by a not 100 percent Michael Clarke.
The Australians bowled 17 overs in one hour but were still seven overs behind the rate. It was only after 100 minutes into the third session that Watson was brought into the attack. Indian skipper MS Dhoni combined with Harbhajan to put a century stand as both the batsmen raised their fifties. Indians were finally bowled out for 295 leaving Australia a target of 382 at more than four runs an over.
Had the Aussies gone in for a kill after tea and restricted India to even 40 runs less they would have had a smaller target and much more time and overs to get there. International captains need to give a serious look at their teams’ bowling rates but this tactic of Ponting is beyond brains. He has not been up to the task of getting overs in time for months now and its been too many times now but he responded today in the way he did only because a one test match suspension hung over him.
Is Ponting’s not playing a test match, bigger than a test win for Australia, a test series for Australia, the Border-Gavaskar trophy for Australia. Eversince I have watched cricket, I have been a big fan of the Aussies putting team before individuals and at times been critical of Indians not doing so. But I doubt if Mr. Ponting has any explanation to what he did.
On the other hand, I just watched and admired Mahendra Singh Dhoni who ran his heart out between the wickets even with a cramped hamstring. India are already ahead in the series and with seven one dayers against England knocking at the door, Dhoni could have chosen to cut out the tight twos and threes. But he chose otherwise and showed us signs of some brilliant things to expect from him and his team in the future.
Even after the tactics that they employed, Australia fell well behind the desired over-rate. The spotlight is on Ponting right now and it remains to be seen what answers he has on offer or are we counting down his days?
India’s first ever paid selection committee gears up for its first and very crucial assignment which in many ways is going to define how the Indian team will look in the next couple of years. The committee is headed by the darling of most hearts – Krishnamachari Srikkanth and has first on its job list to pick the team for the test series against Australia.
The last committee had taken some firm decisions. This is an entirely new panel and they may spring in some surprises. But lets try to figure out the best possible combination for the series.
Team
Number 1
Even though Wasim Jaffer and Aakash Chopra showed glimpses of form in the ongoing Irani Cup match but Gautam Gambhir came up with a stellar knock in the second innings which has seen his position shift from the front-runner to that of certainty. He had a good test series in Sri Lanka averaging over fifty while most senior players struggled to score runs. He makes it to the opening spot and being the junior partner, in all likeliness will take strike when India bat.
Number 2
The mere presence of these two words – “Virender Sehwag”, on the team list sets a cat amongst the pigeons. He might not score as often as one would like but when he does, he makes it count big time. He had a double ton in the test series in Sri Lanka where he made Murali and Mendis look ordinary. He might have failed to score big in Irani Cup but form hardly counts for players who have poor memory for failures.
Number 3
Selectors might want to look towards future but Rahul “The Wall” Dravid has the spot his own at least for the next three grueling series against Australia, England and Pakistan. He still could have a big role to play in the 50 over format as well and there is a ray of hope as the selection panel gets renewed. People might not admit but the team in blue has missed a player like him when they collapsed in some matches in Australia, Asia Cup and Sri Lanka.
Number 4
Sachin Tendulkar has been declared fit for the series and will be joining the squad in his favorite two-down position. He failed miserably in Sri Lanka but he has a special liking for Australia and had amassed almost 500 runs in the series down-under earlier this year. He would want to make his own, what might be his last test series against Australia in India.
Number 5
Exclusion of Sourav Ganguly will see VVS Laxman come in a number higher in the batting order. He had a decent series in Sri Lanka and has been in an over all good form in test matches over last couple of years. His form has been one of the reasons which have led Yuvraj Singh out of the reckoning for the test side.
Number 6
The name that gets this spot for the series will define how the new selection panel wants the team to shape up for the future. With a good domestic season behind him and his superb athletic capabilities, Mohammad Kaif looks the most likely to grab this spot. A good performance for Board President’s XI against the Aussies could see Yuvraj Singh grab this spot. The selectors might as well look for an all-rounder for this spot, which may land in favor of Irfan Pathan. However, the team is unlikely to risk omitting a specialist batsman and give the spot to an all-rounder or a bowler. The new panel may even call up Sourav Ganguly, which will then see him come in at five and Laxman at six. Rohit Sharma still doesn’t seem to be ready to take the big stage in the longer format.
Number 7
Forget even mentioning the statistics, this spot is sealed and done for our ODI and Twenty20 skipper MS Dhoni. He played a superb knock in the second innings of the Irani Cup match and showed how he could make it count if some of the lower order batsmen stuck around. Apart from his batting, he has surprised one and all by the improvement in his wicket-keeping. He is splendid with the webbed gloves as well and is certainly amongst the top wicket-keepers in the world right now.
Number 8
The “Ultimate Warrior” of Indian cricket, Captain dignified, spinning maestro Anil Kumble comes in at number eight in the batting order but the load of expectations will be higher when he will tweak his fingers. He has an important role in the batting order as well. Coming in just after the fall of the last recognized batting pair, he will be required to lend support to his partner and stretch the score and mount opponent’s frustrations. He took 27 wickets when Aussies last toured India. He troubled Aussies in their den big time grabbing 20 wickets in the four match series earlier this year and would want to add another feather to his cap by leading his team and regaining the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Number 9
Turbanator Harbhajan Singh, the nemesis of Australian skipper Ricky Ponting comes in at this spot. In the absence of Kumble, he was the chief destroyer in the series against the Aussies in 2001 where he took 32 wickets in the three match series. The importance of the feat can be illustrated by the fact that Zaheer Khan was the second most successful bowler for India with three wickets in the series. He grabbed 21 wickets in the 2004 series as well and would be looking to prove that he is ready to take over the mantle of “India’s Spinning Spearhead” when Captain Kumble hangs up his boots.
Number 10
Zaheer Khan has risen as India’s premier pace bowler in the last year or so. Barring some injury niggles; he has been a regular and has performed consistently. When he has not taken wickets he has helped the bowler at other end by bowling a tight line and length and building up pressure. He bowled with a big heart and tremendous composure in the Irani Cup match and showed how a pacer can be effective on dead and docile tracks.
Number 11
His spells to Ricky Ponting down under were what brought this tall, lanky fast bowler into limelight and since then Ishant Sharma has been a regular name on the team list, his fitness permitting. The control and incisiveness he demonstrated in the Irani Cup match must have sent a few shivers down the Aussie spines. His form ensures that India have a supremely potent bowling attack, well capable of toppling the Aussie batting line-up twice in five days.
Number 12
One more spinner will be taking a spot in the 14 man squad and Piyush Chawla’s continued lack of control over the deliveries means that Pragyan Ojha will retain his place. The new selectors may want to give Amit Mishra a chance, but they might choose to not take a risk in an important and tough series like this.
Number 13
Munaf Patel in the last few weeks seems to have marched ahead of RP Singh, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan for a spot in the team. He bowled with control in the Indian Premier League and has been quite good in the One Day tournaments after that. He looked a different person in the Irani Cup match, diving around in the field, bowling with fire and clocking speeds of over 140 KPH.
Number 14
If Sourav Ganguly is picked in the 14 man squad, he will in all probabilities feature in the final 11. One of Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif or Rohit Sharma is likely to be in the final eleven and one other will occupy this spot.
Former Australian star Adam Gilchrist has called for the inclusion of cricket’s Twenty20 format at the 2020 Olympics, saying it will help secure the global future of the game - reports AFP.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who after retiring from international cricket played in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said the International Cricket Council (ICC) must push for Twenty20 to become an Olympic sport.
“It doesn’t matter where the 2020 Olympic Games are held,” he wrote in a column for Indian daily the Deccan Chronicle on Monday.
“But many of us who’ve experienced international Twenty20 cricket and the IPL are convinced that cricket should bid to become an Olympic sport in time for the Games,” he wrote.
Gilchrist, 36, said re-introducing cricket as an Olympic sport would help the sport grow internationally and also boost the Olympic movement in the subcontinent.
“We have a responsibility to grow our game in new territories and amongst the women of the world.
“I believe the Olympic Games is the vehicle the sport should use to aggressively sell the message of our sport to all 202 competing Olympic nations.
“So that our sport is strong and robust in countries where it is currently played, and exciting and ground-breaking in countries who haven’t yet caught the ‘cricket-bug’,” he said.
Cricket was part of the Olympics just once, in 1900, but last year it was recognised as an Olympic sport — the first step towards full admission to the Games.
“With Twenty20 cricket here to stay, now is the time for the 10 full-member nations of the ICC to plan for the development of the sport over the next 100 years,” Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist said winning an Olympic medal would be the ultimate for any cricketer.
“Take it from someone who has won almost everything cricket has to offer — the Olympics is the absolute pinnacle in sport.
“Cricketers won’t care about the money. The chance to stand on top of the Olympic podium, to wear an Olympic gold medal and the pride of belting out your national anthem would be a life-changing money-can’t-buy experience,” he said.
The founding members, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia (CA) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) after a meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday, officially announced the Champions Twenty20 League. The first edition to be held in India from September 29 to October 8, 2008 is likely to be played at Delhi, Jaipur and Mohali but IPL commissioner Lalit Modi has kept the options open as of now.
On Thursday David Collier, the chief executive of England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) confirmed Middlesex’s participation in the league, bringing to an end the speculations of a similar Champions League being organized synchronously by ECB in the UAE. Collier also expressed ECB’s interest in sending two teams from the next year.
Two teams each from the IPL, Australia’s Big Bash and South Africa’s Pro20 and one each from England and Pakistan’s Twenty20 tournament will take part in the first edition. In the coming years there are plans to make it a 12 team tournament with two teams each from India, Australia, South Africa and England and one each from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and West Indies.
Teams in 2008 and their star players
From India (Indian Premier League)
Winner - Rajasthan Royals
Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Younis Khan, Shane Watson, Yusuf Pathan, Sohail Tanveer, Dmitri Mascarenhas
Runner-up - Chennai Super Kings
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Muttiah Muralidharan, Mathew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Stephen Fleming, Makhaya Ntini, Albie Morkel, Jacob Oram, Suresh Raina
From Australia (KFC Twenty20 Big Bash)
Winner - Victoria Bushrangers
Cameron White, David Hussey, Brad Hodge, Chris Rodgers, Dirk Nannes, Adam Crosthwaite
Runner-up - Western Australia Warriors
Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Shaun Marsh, Luke Pomersbach, Luke Ronchi, Brad Hogg, Chris Rogers, Adam Voges, Sean Ervine
From South Africa (Standard Bank Pro20)
Winner - Nashua Titans
Martin van Jaarsveld, AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Andre Nel, Morne Morkel, Gulam Bodi, Paul Harris, Pierre Joubert
Runner-up - Nashua Dolphins
Ahmed Amla, Shaun Pollock, Hashim Amla, Dale Benkenstein, Johann Louw, Doug Watson, Kyle Smit
From Pakistan (ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup)
Sialkot Stallions
Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Asif, Mansoor Amjad, Abdur Rehman
From England (Twenty20 Cup)
Winner – Middlesex
Ed Smith, Andrew Strauss, Shaun Udal, Ed Joyce, Owais Shah, Murali Kartik, Chris Silverwood, Billy Godleman
