Sourav Ganguly - the leader par excellence

When Indian cricket reached its nadir after the match fixing scandal and the aftermath of what was made public, several combinations were tried and tested. What the team needed was a strong leader with foresight who could take the team with a bunch of talented youngsters forward. Sourav Ganguly was appointed as the captain after due consideration. There were several seniors around - Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath to name a few along with other stalwarts such as Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.

Ganguly took over a team which was virtually in tatters and many youngsters were inducted into the squad which was badly in need of fresh blood. The first big test was the ICC Knockout trophy in Kenya in October 2000. Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh and Vijay Dahiya made their debuts in the tournament and the first two impressed straightaway. India lost to New Zealand in the finals while beating bigger teams like Australia and South Africa en route.

In 2001, the miraculous escape in the Calcutta test which ultimately India won, was probably the take-off which the team was waiting for. Harbhajan Singh who was drafted into the squad solely because of Sourav Ganguly based on inputs from others like VVS Laxman, ended up with 32 wickets in the three test series. Laxman's 281 and Dravid's 180 with their record 376 run stand, ensured India wrested back the control. With the series tied 1-1, India won the final test in Chennai to halt the Australian juggernaut. Though Ganguly scored a meagre 106 in the entire series, his captaincy stood out - he even made Steve Waugh who was known as a master tactician of that era, wait for the toss for reasons best known only to Ganguly.

While the team was progressing from strength to strength, a victory in a major one day series was elusive. It culminated in the 2002 Natwest Series involving England and Sri Lanka as well. Defending 325 which was more than a match winning score then, England had no answers to Sourav Ganguly's assault. The skipper opened and scored 60 runs off 43 balls and put on a century opening stand with Virender Sehwag. While there was a wobble in the middle with India finding themselves at 146-5, two 'matured' youngsters Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif joined together and India managed to cross the line - what followed defined the Indian cricket's new era. Ganguly stood up, removed his jersey and waved it around bare chested at the Lord's balcony - a fitting reply to what Andrew Flintoff did a year back in Mumbai.

India marched to the 2003 World Cup final in South Africa beating teams like Pakistan, England and New Zealand convincingly. While they lost to Australia for the second time in the tournament to emerge second best in the final, the team look settled under Ganguly. Victories in Pakistan and a spirited test series against Australia which India levelled with a famous win in Adelaide added to the accolades. Later on Ganguly lost his form, captaincy and even his place in the side but made a strong comeback in due course and finally retired in 2008.

He was a terrific batsman too- a fact which tends to get overlooked or rather overshadowed by his captaincy record. with more than 10,000 runs in ODIs and 7000 in tests decorated by 22 and 16 centuries in the respective formats, he was described as next to God on the off side by Rahul Dravid. To watch Sourav Ganguly caress the ball through the crowded off side field was a sight which cannot be forgotten. Also was his ability to dance down the track and dispatch spinners out of the ground.

Youngsters like Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Virender Sehwag, Ashish Nehra flourished under him while Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and even the great Sachin Tendulkar looked comfortable while Ganguly was the captain. Javagal Srinath was convinced to come out of retirement to lead the pace attack till the 2003 world cup while Sehwag was promoted to the opener's slot which Ganguly had made his own. Hypothetically speaking, we don't know what would have happened to M S Dhoni's career without the 148 he made against Pakistan after being promoted to No 3, which was Ganguly's slot then.

The foundation that was built then by picking players who had the mettle but were given sufficient backing and opportunities, still lies strong taking Indian cricket to greatness. Sourav Ganguly held the record for the most wins in tests ( 21) till Dhoni and subsequently Virat Kohli broke it. When Indians were considered bullies at home and bunnies overseas, Ganguly ended with a stunning 11 overseas test victories as captain of India. A leader par excellence, what was sowed during Sourav Ganguly's period as captain is still being reaped.