Down memory lane…
To me, the best Test series India has ever played was against the same country touring India now.
You know the one I am talking about – the series in which Laxman and Dravid played that epic knock in Calcutta and Bhajji conjured up a hat trick. It was also the series that thrust Saurav Ganguly in to prominence as a leader. He may not have shone in that series with the bat, but he managed to rally the troops into a fighting come back. In a way it is fitting that he ends his career against the Aussies – hopefully this time, finishing up in style with the bat.
If you would like to re-live the moments of that tour, there is no better place to start than to visit the Tour archive at CricInfo -
“You just dropped the test, mate”
Steve Waugh has admitted that it was not an easy relationship with Ganguly in that series.
Apparently, when Ganguly dropped a catch of Steve Waugh in that famous test in Calcutta, Steve Waugh, repeating his famous Word cup quip, is alleged to have said to Ganguly- “You just dropped the Test, mate”. As it happened, Bhajji soon took the wicket of Waugh and the rest, as they say – is history.
They were probably never best mates, but Ganguly did receive some high praise from Waugh in the end. When Ganguly toured Australia last Summer, Steve Waugh said – “You don’t have to like or dislike him. You have to respect him”.
Farewell the Prince
i3j3 will most likely have a post dedicated to Saurav Ganguly talking about the cricketing memories he will leave behind for us, but meanwhile CricInfo has a wonderful article tracking the time line of his rise and fall, including that famous series I just talked about –
-Mahesh-
