Print

Please post once and this message will disappear! Introduce yourself, say hello, jump into a discussion...

[kban1]

His own man

Sourav's batting is a unique mix of touch and power. When he plays those drives on the off, it's all touch, all elegance

VVS Laxman



The first time I played with Sourav was in 1994, in a zonal match in Jamshedpur. I had heard a lot about his elegance, and about how strong he was on the off side, but in that particular match he didn't get a big score. The following year, again in the zonal tournament, we met in Lucknow. And again, he didn't get too many - but he did clean bowl me! Since then, of course, I have often had the pleasure of watching him from the non-striker's end.

If I had to sum up Sourav's batting, I would say that it is a unique mix of touch and power. When he plays those drives on the off for instance, it's all touch, all elegance. Timing is his gift. I think that is something one is born with. If at all there is a secret to timing, it is to play the ball early, and Sourav does that.

On the other hand, he has the ability to not only clear the ropes but even the stadium. Right from the start he has had the ability to hit long.

Against spin, my god, he is really a murderer! I have seen him badly dent the careers of some spinners in domestic cricket. There was this left-armer, Sukhvinder Singh, playing for Assam, who was selected for the Challengers in 2001, before the home series against Australia. Sourav just destroyed him, hitting him for more than 30 runs in one over. Nobody heard of poor Sukhvinder after that!

I think playing spin comes very naturally to Sourav: you should see him in the nets. He has that wonderful bat-swing and follow-through, and, just as importantly, the belief that he can clear the boundary whenever he wishes to.

I know he has faced a lot of criticism while batting against fast - especially short-pitched - bowling but honestly I think that's unfair on him. If you can score a hundred at the Gabba, it's not possible that you are unable to play short bowling. I think what happens is that sometimes batsmen go through a phase where they get out in similar fashion a few times, and the impression remains in the minds of people for a long time afterwards. I have seen him play the pull convincingly on many occasions. He certainly did so in Melbourne, when he returned to the crease after having taken a blow to the head.

The great thing about Sourav is that he doesn't let any criticism bother him. I think that was evident right from the time he made the century on debut at Lord's. He is his own man, and an intensely determined one. He always speaks his mind, and doesn't mind throwing the challenge to fast bowlers with his statements. After all, if someone can step out and hit fast bowlers for six over point or long-on, then there is no reason why he should be intimidated by them.

As a captain, he always tells the batsmen to go out and play their natural game. He will never, for example, tell Sehwag to play defensively. He believes that international batsmen should stick to the formula that has got them that far. He is always encouraging the batsmen, reminding them of past successes.

And he has played a few captain's innings too. The 144 at the Gabba was such a positive knock, right from the start. We had to make a good beginning to the series, and Sourav led by example. I can tell you that it really gave the dressing room a lift, knowing that if we played our natural game we could do well in Australia.

He played some really good ones on the West Indies tour of 2002 as well. The two of us had a significant partnership in the second innings in Trinidad. We had to grind out the runs. A big partnership was essential under the circumstances and the wicket was not ideal for strokeplay, with the ball not really coming on to the bat. I wish I could have stayed there longer with him, because he remained not out on 75 - but the important thing is that it was enough for us to win the Test. In the next Test, in Barbados, he batted beautifully in both innings, but unfortunately there was no support for him. I still remember that six he hit off Mervyn Dillon; it landed on the roof of the stadium.

Finally, I'd like to say that Sourav is among the best one-day players I have seen. He has the big shots, and he's worked out his game inside out. He knows when to charge, when to push the single. And he has mastered the art of making hundreds. When he plays like he did against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup, or against South Africa at the ICC Knockout, he makes batting look like the easiest thing in the world. By the time he finishes, that record is going to look phenomenal.

As told to Rahul Bhattacharya. This article was first published in Wisden Asia Cricket magazine, August 2004
 
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/377585.html

[Blwe_torch]

I'll miss Bengali chatter with Ganguly: Tendulkar

NEW DELHI, NOV 10 (PTI)
"Who will I talk to in Bengali now?" Sachin Tendulkar asked today in a tribute to his long-standing dressing room pal Sourav Ganguly, who retired from international cricket.

Tendulkar recalled his long association with the elegant left-hander and said he owes the little Bengali he knows to his former opening partner in one-dayers.

"But the question I ask myself is who will I now speak to in Bengali? Well I have enjoyed conversing with him in that language and whatever Bengali I have picked up is thanks to him," Tendulkar said in a newspaper column.

"Whenever we had a long partnership, I used to walk mid-pitch and speak a few Bangla words to ease the pressure of the situation," he said.

Tendulkar went on to recount some pranks he had played on Ganguly during their days together in the Indian dressing room.

"Cricket lovers have heard about how I disturbed the watchman of the Nehru Stadium with my constant bat-hitting leather activities at night and the fact that he brought it to the attention of our coach Vasu Paranjape," he wrote in 'Mid-Day'.

"But not many have heard this -- One day when Sourav was enjoying his rest and dozed off, I had his room flooded with water. Sourav woke up to the mini deluge surprised, shocked, staggered -- in that order.

"His only solace was I made sure that his cricketing kit was not among the ruins. Imagine what a sight it would have been -- his bats, pads floating in water."

http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=631335

[kban1]

Farewell to India’s greatest war-time general

Harsha Bhogle
Nov 11, 2008

The sunset was warm and glowing. Sourav Ganguly chose a good day to be his last as an international cricketer. It didn’t seem for a while that he had the choice but, like he has so often done, he created the opportunity and having done so, didn’t let go. And so a fine batsman has gone when still good, when still scoring runs.
 
Many epitaphs have been written. Sport can be fulfilling and yet cruel for epitaphs are written about men in their mid-thirties. Not surprisingly, Ganguly the captain has received as much space as Ganguly the man who competed with god through the off-side. In a sense that was inevitable for despite several fine moments with the bat, especially in one-day cricket where he was one of the greats, his legacy as captain is greater.

For those who value the here and now, and for those not yet converted to this game eight years ago, Indian cricket was in much strife in 2000. Some people had stopped trusting the outcome of cricket matches, Tendulkar had pulled out of the captaincy, India had been demolished in Australia and vanquished by South Africa at home. Somebody needed to grab public imagination; draw back the believers in exile. It was in such times that Sourav Ganguly became captain of India. In the next four years Indian cricket grew strong and proud but more importantly, renewed its bonds with the faithful who make it what it is. Many great innings were played in that period, fine spells were bowled, but the buck stopped at the leader. Ganguly was an excellent war-time general.

Along the way some matches were lost and many were won. But nothing quite defined Ganguly’s reign as much as that moment on the Lord’s balcony. He claims to be embarrassed by it and that is a strange admission. It was spontaneous and representative of a new generation. Young men watching it said “yes” not because it was the done thing to do but because they were part of a generation that had the confidence to give as good as they got. Ganguly on the balcony at Lord’s became a symbol; maybe like Lagaan did. It was also, come to think of it, what Ganguly was all about; not rude and disrespectful but defiant and increasingly confident.

Somewhere along the way though, an impression was sought to be created that Ganguly was more instinctive than cerebral; that he just did and didn’t think. The instinct of a fool counts for little and it is only a qualified man that can back a hunch. In most cases instinct is derived from study anyway. But even that impression was flawed as I discovered when he accepted my invitation to do a business show on CNBC. Ganguly was on the show along with B Muthuraman, the head of Tata Steel and he spoke beautifully about leadership; about separating his role as a batsman from that of a captain, about how to inspire confidence in youngsters and about mistakes that leaders can make.

“The best captains get it right seven times out of ten,” he said. “I think I get it right five times out of ten. But I know, even when I get it wrong, that my team believes I was wrong in trying to be right.” This was in 2004 when he was probably the best man to have led India onto a cricket ground, certainly in the years since I started watching seriously. That is about as far as a leader can go; when a team grants a leader his mistakes because it believes they were committed in the desire to be right.

It is tempting to argue that Ganguly should have played longer. But just as nobody knows when the stock markets peak and when they hit a bottom, so too it is with people. The highs often attain that status later and things are rarely as bad as they seem while they are happening. Who knows what the future would have held for Ganguly for his life has rarely been predictable.

He has chosen a good moment; one that in days to come we will remember with warmth rather than sadness.

http://www.indianexpress.com/story_print.php?storyid=383851

[kban1]

Most cherished memories will be 2001, 2003 series: Ganguly

10 Nov 2008
 
NAGPUR: As Sourav Ganguly's illustrious career came to an end on Monday, the former cricket captain said he would like to be remembered as a fine 
batsman, a good captain and a man of comebacks.

"It would be very difficult to separate them. All three have been over a considerable period so that definitely is satisfying. Captaincy, I did what I felt was right. God has been really kind that I have gone through this for 13 years and finished off on a win for Indian cricket," Ganguly said after India defeated Australia by 172 runs in the last Test to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Ganguly said that he was never was a captain who believed in the drawing room and sees shades of himself in Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"He (Dhoni) doesn't believe a lot in team meeting and all. He does what he sees on the cricket field. He probably has a better view than I had, being behind the stumps. It is a phase where we needed to take Indian cricket forward," he said.

Ganguly, who is the most successful India captain, said that he was lucky to have outstanding players like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh in his team during his tenure as captain from 2000-05.

"I was lucky to have players like Sachin, Rahul, Laxman, Harbhajan, Veeru, Anil playing their best cricket at that stage between 2000 and 2005. That definitely helped and you have seen the results overseas. We were always a strong team at home so the results overseas I will always cherish," he said.

"I always believed that a captain is as good as his team. It is the raising of Indian cricket's image in world cricket, the phase from 2000-2005 and it is going on now. Indian cricket's image on the world has gone up immensely, specially touring because we were always termed as soft when we travelled but that has changed considerably. We at the present moment are a formidable side home and away," he said.

Asked whether he could reconsider his decision, Ganguly said: "There is no question of re-considering my decision to retire. I have had my time. There is a time for everyone to leave and this is my time to leave. I am happy with the way things have gone."

He also said his most cherished memories would the 2001 and 2003 series against Australia.

"I think that definitely would be the two best series in my tenure as a player. We won in other places as well, we won in Pakistan, we won in West Indies, in India of course, in England but those two series will always remain special," Ganguly said.

On his strained relationship with former coach Greg Chappell, he said: "I don't want to talk about the past. What has happened has happened. Let's keep the controversy away. It is a happy day for Indian cricket. Greg Chappell has been over and done for a long time, so let's not bring it. Let's respect him, let's respect whatever has been done."

On life after international cricket, Ganguly said he has to play two years in the IPL.

"I will try and play a few matches for Bengal too, but I don't really know whether I will be able to get up and be ready for that. I need some time off, I have been on the road for 13 years. Commentating means travelling again all the time which I don't think I am ready for now," he said. 

http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Specials/Australia_in_India/News/Most_cherished_memories_will_be_2001_2003_series_Ganguly/articleshow/3696614.cms

[Blwe_torch]

I hope he plays some county cricket too.

[prfsr]

I hope he plays some county cricket too.

SG? He will barely play for IPL.

[teamindia]

I hope he plays some county cricket too.

SG? He will barely play for IPL.

i think he did say that he will play some domestic cricket for WB.

[kban1]

Farewell To Arms

By Ehtesham Hasan, Ashish Magotra

Posted On Tuesday, November 11, 2008       

 

Thanks for the memories Daadi 
 

B.D. — Indian Cricket Before Daadi


A.D. — Indian Cricket after Daadi


In the southern winter of 2001 Sourav Ganguly sat out in the dressing room balcony at Harare, with his eyes welled up. “Why it has to be us?” he asked holding back the tears. “...every time we lose in the final. When will we ever win?” It was hard not to feel for Ganguly that day as we circled round him trying to calm him down.

India had played great cricket throughout the triangular tournament involving hosts Zimbabwe and West Indies. Such was the confidence in the ranks that the manager had already asked the authorities to hand out the winners’ cheque to the team.

The cheque had to be re-written in the West Indies’ name and the champagne, kept on ice all day, was presented to the dressing room attendants.

It was immensely heartening to see — the man who sparred many a round with destiny and just like Rocky Balboa rose from the canvas every time the world started to count ten — go out as a winner in Nagpur yesterday.

There was a time when some saw him as a street urchin for his scrappy ways and a renowned Indian writer even compared him to an Alsatian. Ganguly always smiled back and would innocently ask us, “Who are these people?” For him it was a blow for a blow and an eye for an eye.

He believed India was at its best when they played aggressively and that couldn’t have been more true if you do revisit some of the great Indian wins in this decade.

On last year’s tour of England, things had taken an ugly turn due to the home team’s macho-posturing in the second Test at Nottingham. The match referee had advised Rahul Dravid and Michael Vaughan to rein in their teams.

Dravid chose to write a letter to all his team-mates asking them to cool down. Ganguly didn’t like it a bit.  “Chalo chalo awaaz karo. We can’t keep playing like this,” we would occasionally hear him on the stump microphone at The Oval..

That’s The Way

That’s the way we should play. That's how we should play. That's the way we put pressure on the opposition. ...that I think should be the way for Indian cricket and that should not be STOPPED,” he later told us.

When unnecessary criticism was hurled at him or his team-mates, Ganguly would not take it lying down.

“The way they talk, it is crap. These guys should have picked 700 wickets and scored 15,000 runs in their time.”

Talks of his faulty technique continued to hound him. It didn’t matter that his average never dipped below 40 throughout his career in both forms of the game.

The knocks he played on seamer-friendly tracks at Barbados, Headingley (2002) and then Brisbane 2003-04 testified that he was as much a part of Test cricket as he was of the instant variety.

“I honestly feel technique plays 20 per cent part in your success, the rest is all about your guts and determination,” he told us in England (2007 series).

As his career meandered towards a dull finish in 2005, entered Greg Chappell to spice it up. The rest of course is history. Ganguly sought support from his team-mates. But not all of them were willing. The BCCI took Chappell’s word by dropping Ganguly from the team.

On his return the smearing campaigns did not stop. He was wrongly accused of not wanting to open in Lahore (2006 series) when it was Dravid who was averse to the idea.

In 2007 he was hauled over the coals for scoring slowly and the reason for his paltry strike-rate was alluded to his contract for the sticker on his bat.

As if that wasn’t sufficient, the players for whom he had arm-twisted the selectors, abused him for his below-average fielding.

His laboured innings at Nagpur against Australia in a one-dayer last year became a contentious issue, which eventually led to him being dropped from the one-dayers in Australia.

“People should tell me directly if they have a problem with my scoring rate,” he said. When the news was broken to him at Perth, Ganguly paced up and down the hotel foyer thumbing his phone desperately wanting to know the reason. “It’s all over for me,” he said quietly.

But there was another comeback in store and the one we’ll never forget for the rest of our life.


‘I see a lot of myself in Dhoni’   

The image of Sourav Ganguly setting fields and ordering fielders has become so ingrained in our pysches that it feels odd to see someone else do the job now. Yesterday, Ganguly had a chance to be king one last time and at once, he looked right at home.

As he walked into his final press conference, the emotions were reined in and he was all business.

Excerpts:

Will you ever think about reconsidering retirement?
There is no question of re-considering my decision to retire. I have had my time. There is a time for everyone to leave and this is my time to leave. I am happy with the way things have gone. I had a good series and we have beaten the best team in the world 2-0.

There were a lot of doubts after we came back from Sri Lanka so coming back and winning 2-0 is probably the best thing that could have happened. I have played well, the team played well and the way this Test match has finished I am ready to sacrifice a year of Test cricket for it.

The one quality that served you well through your career…
I think it is the toughness that I had is much more than what people thought. I had questions over my abilities right through my career but I am happy that I was able to overcome them on the basis of my ability and toughness.

Dhoni let you captain the side one last time. How did it feel?
I was already switched off, so he woke me up. I didn’t know what was happening for the first 6-7 balls but luckily they were nine down. Then after three overs I told that it is his job and not mine.

Fine batsman, good captain or making a comeback…what was most special for you?
I think all three. I would be very difficult to separate them. All three have been over a considerable period so that definitely is satisfying. Captaincy; I just did what I felt was right. I never was a captain who believed in the drawing room and I see a lot of that in MS Dhoni. He doesn’t believe a lot in team meeting and all.

He does what he sees on the cricket field. He probably has a better view than I had, being behind the stumps. It is a phase where we needed to take Indian cricket forward. I was lucky to have players like Sachin, Rahul, Laxman, Harbhajan, Veeru, Anil probably playing their best cricket at that stage between 2000 and 2005. That definitely helped and you seen the results overseas. We were always a strong team at home so the results overseas I will always cherish.

What did you feel as you walked back to the pavilion after scoring a duck?
I was not disappointed with the first ball duck but I was disappointed with the 85 I got. I was so close to getting a hundred and that was more disappointing.

A penny for your thoughts on the current Indian skipper, Dhoni…
He has done wonderfully well so far with his win in the T20 World Cup, his win in the Australia ODI series and in beating Australia here. I know he has the abilities to take Indian cricket forward. Cricket is a spark and it is not just preparation, it is not that you got to be a good player and do a lot of homework.

It is spark on the field which MS has. He has got that extra bit of luck which you need in captaincy. He will be tested when India goes overseas and I am sure if the boys around him play well he will definitely live up to it. I have always believed that a captain is as good as his team.

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=59&contentid=2008111120081111025555142966da504&sectxslt=section&pageno=1

[kban1]

[kban1]

Into the sunset -- Thanks for the memories

[kban1]

Lasting memories, a lasting legacy

LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI
 

Nagpur: Greg Chappell stopped addressing me as “Lokendra” and switched to “Sahi.” That was shortly after his spat with Sourav Ganguly in Zimbabwe, a little over three years ago.

That period also saw hate mail for much of what I wrote on Sourav. Like Chappell, some readers probably felt I’d taken “sides” in Indian cricket’s most headline-grabbing row since Mohinder Amarnath called the selectors a “bunch of jokers.”

If there was a downside to a close relationship with Sourav, that was it. The point I’d then been making was icons cannot be treated so disdainfully. That the Chappell-Sourav issue had been handled poorly.

At no point, however, did I worry about my personal association with Sourav becoming a liability professionally. It’s not that Sourav and I didn’t have differences. He didn’t, for example, like it when I criticised his indirect attack on one-time mentor Jagmohan Dalmiya in the lead-up to the 2006 CAB elections.

Sourav was then turning out for Northants and had been hit on the head. The criticism, therefore, wasn’t timed well and I’m not sure whether the 35-minute trans-continental talk we had convinced him about my stand.

To his credit, Sourav never spoke about it again.

Of course, one got branded pro-Sourav within Team India too, and one senior player, in particular, became very formal. Not that it stopped others from enquiring (on tours) about “Dada” during the time he’d been left to rot.

The end of this Australia-series has brought much sadness. It’s personal, but Indian cricket is also going to miss Sourav. Not to speak of fans, thousands of whom couldn’t control their emotions at the VCA Stadium in Jamtha on Monday afternoon.

Sadly, over the years, many (in different quarters) loved to hate Sourav, for no reason at all. As bad, few actually gave him the credit he deserved.

It’s fashionable for today’s cricketers to be aggressive, yet till Sourav took absolute control of the team (early 2001, about a year after he got the captaincy), hardly anybody would look the opposition in the eye.

Backing off, or almost, had been much the norm.

Sourav changed the team’s body language and, as Ian Chappell (no big fan of his, by the way) pointed out, changed the “mentality” while playing overseas. That, perhaps, will be Sourav’s lasting legacy.

Just the other day, Anil Kumble paid Sourav the highest compliment when he said he’d taught the team to win overseas. India’s most successful Test captain can’t forget that in a hurry.

Sourav will be remembered for backing youngsters too, for bringing back the Harbhajan Singhs and for shunning the temptation to think and act on narrow regional lines. “I’m the captain of India, not any zone or state,” he’d insist whenever anybody suggested that he advocate some player’s cause from East or Bengal.

Another of Sourav’s arguments was that the deserving couldn’t be stopped.

Sunil Gavaskar, indeed, was spot on when he saluted Sourav (in these columns) thus: “He provided the kind of leadership you seldom see in any walk of life.”

Coming from one of the first few legends of Indian sport, that’s awesome.

As a batsman, there was a time when Sourav outshone even Sachin Tendulkar in ODIs, but didn’t do complete justice to his talent in Test cricket. Over 7,000 runs is very good, yes, but he should’ve been in the 9,000-plus category.

In the lead-up to his final Test, Sourav admitted as much in a one-on-one with The Telegraph.

Sourav was an absolute joy to watch on the off-side and those who found fault with his handling of the short-pitched stuff (no batsman relishes them) need to remember that quite a few of his runs came on some of the quickest surfaces. His comeback innings of 51 not out at the Wanderers, 23 months ago, being one example.

His first captain, Mohammed Azharuddin, has rubbished talk that Sourav had an attitude problem on the 1991-92 tour of Australia. That puts to rest the whispers which surfaced on his maiden tour and we don’t need to bother about the whispers in more recent times.

If anything, the passionate Sourav gave the team attitude.

What could definitely be said is that Sourav was often the hardest worker. Two memories stand out: In the lead-up to the Kandy Test on the 2001-02 tour of Sri Lanka and the build-up to the Wanderers in 2006-07.

Extra hours, practising with wet tennis balls on a concrete surface... Turning up for optional nets... He did everything.

Sourav got the MoM award in Kandy. At the Wanderers, he made a comeback which is part of folklore. Only somebody with his mental make-up could’ve (a) made a return in the first place and (b) made it count for so much.

In the (Greg) Chappell-Kiran More era, at that.

Sourav wasn’t the best mover on the field, but he got targeted more than some of his teammates. Actually, it wouldn’t have been much of a risk if you’d bet on a catch coming down on him.

By his own admission, Sourav is “quiet and soft-spoken” off the field. A pucca gentleman as well. The lady who took his autograph with a leaking pen, on last Monday’s Calcutta-Nagpur flight, will vouch for that.

“I didn’t have another one... I’m sorry your hands have got soiled,” the lady-in-black apologised. “Madam, don’t worry... Theek achche,” Sourav assured her, somewhat embarrassed by her discomfiture.

An absolute Dada on the field, pretty soft off it... He’ll be missed.

Footnote: Sourav, one learns, was subjected to much leg-pulling during the dinner in his and Anil Kumble’s honour. One of the seniors even said he would now have the time to “contest against Mamata Banerjee.” Somebody else asked whether he would now drop Sana to school! A video presentation was made, listing the achievements of the former captains.
 
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081111/jsp/sports/story_10093847.jsp

[Blwe_torch]

Robin hood and his band of mavericks
11 Nov 2008, 0020 hrs IST, Bobilli Vijay Kumar, TNN 

For someone born with a golden spoon in his hand, mouth and pocket, Sourav Ganguly's life has been an exhilarating roller-coaster ride.
Yet, he has probably seen more downs than a luge-racer; he has endured more controversies than Britney Spears herself and has been subjected to more barbs than even a step-daughter. Yet, he sat through all this silently, with a smile on his face and an unshakeable desire in the heart to overcome.

One of the biggest cliches about him is that half the world loves him while the other half hates him. Here is a secret: there is another set of people, lurking in their closets, who quietly admire him; and yet another that simply can't stand his guts. Ganguly, the cricketer, has mostly been like that: he evoked extreme emotions.

But Ganguly the person is nothing like that: beyond the field, in fact, he is quiet, dignified and extremely likeable. During the time he used to wear specs, he used to look the part too: sweet and innocent; it was impossible not to adore him or feel protective towards him then.

Even now, he rarely, if ever, says no to friends, fans or strangers; he doesn't lose his cool or shirt easily and you have to be really unlucky (lucky?) to see his temper. He tries hard to accommodate everybody and is easily the most approachable cricketers in the Indian team. Yes, he is a true hero, a real gentleman, among stars.

For all his exploits and achievements, he has been called many, many things, mostly by staunch, almost blind, admirers. Yet, he was known as the Maharaja before he conquered hearts and became the Prince of Kolkata. God of the off-side, dada, dadi, Bengal Tiger are some of the titles that were lovingly bestowed on him.

For this writer, though, Ganguly is like the Robin Hood of English folklore. No, he didn't exactly rob the rich to feed the poor; he didn't really fight against tyranny or injustice either, as the Prince of Thieves had so enduringly done in medieval times. But in a queer sort of way, Ganguly symbolized the same fight: good over bad.

Around the time he took over India's captaincy, in 2000, cricket was trapped in the match-fixing quagmire: fans had lost their faith and the biggest stars their lustre and trustworthiness. Kapil Dev, Mohammed Azharuddin, Hansie Cronje, Shane Warne, Mark Waugh, virtually everybody, was tainted by doubts and accusations.

Worse, despite the rise and rise of Sachin Tendulkar and emergence of Rahul Dravid, India seemed to have lost the winning mantra; there was the express pace of Javagal Srinath and pinpoint accuracy of Anil Kumble too to fall back on but the victories had simply dried up. The team was on a downhill slide.

Ganguly rose to become a charming and ambitious leader. Seeing hunger and combativeness in a new bunch of youngsters, he devised his plans: he goaded each one of them, often through taunts and harsh words; then, he motivated them to set up goals and, eventually, inspired all of them to go do it.

Indeed, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Singh and Yuvraj Singh, among others, were all mavericks. They were hugely talented, like many Indian players before them, but they had one quality that the others didn't have: they didn't know fear. Ganguly turned them into intrepid fighters.

They fought aggression with hostility, words with abuses and stares with glares; they were not scared of anything, and slowly, they dared to dream big too. Ganguly was their lovable Robin Hood and they were his band of merry men. They all stood by each other and, together, waded through each fight, every controversy.

It is not surprising that the huddle, uniting the Indian team like never before, got invented somewhere around this time.

After conquering Australia at home, in the most sensational way possible, India started looking beyond. They were tired of their tigers-at-home-lambs-on-tour image anyway; Ganguly, with enough prodding from the Tendulkar-Dravid-Laxman-Kumble set, was now ready to take on the world.

It helped that Indian cricket was moving with the times too. To begin with, the country got its first foreign coach; then, a whole bunch of support staff was hired: a trainer, a physio, a video analyst and the list kept growing; India could take on anybody on equal terms hereafter.

After modest wins in Dhaka (Bangladesh) and Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), both before the cathartic victory over Australia at home, he hit pay dirt in Kandy (Sri Lanka); then the big ones followed: Port of Spain (West Indies), Leeds (England), Adelaide (Australia) and Rawalpindi (Pakistan). In between, he guided the team to the World Cup final in South Africa too.

The final frontier was still proving beyond them though: Tests were being won but series still remained elusive away from home. Meanwhile, Ganguly was going through his own problems: short-pitched nightmares, struggle for runs and finally the showdown with Greg Chappell. It was the ugliest fight in Indian cricket and it divided the country into two camps.

The pressure eventually got to Ganguly; many even felt he was wrongly thrown away from the team. But Robin Hood still had his merry men: they had faith in him, and in his ability to fight back. He began working on his fitness, and his batting, even as one door after another seemed to be shutting down.

But then, Robin Hood never believed in giving in. Ganguly too waited for his opportunity: it presented itself in South Africa, in late 2006, when the Indian run-machine spluttered big time. Under the most volatile circumstances, and Chappell's not-so-benevolent eye, Ganguly completed a dramatic comeback.

Good had triumphed over ‘evil' again. Slowly, Ganguly recovered his sublime touch; it didn't take long for the team to embrace him too. As luck would have it, Chappell didn't last long after that. Peace returned to Indian cricket soon and it resumed its journey towards the world's highest perch.

That goal was eventually reached on Monday, providentially Ganguly's last day in India's colours. That it came at Nagpur, a place where his fall had really begun in 2004, is even more amazing. His successor, MS Dhoni, made it more memorable by letting him lead the team to victory.

Ganguly was the country's most successful captain, both in One-dayers and Tests; he was one of the most graceful batsmen the game has seen, probably matchless on the off-side; he was easily one of the most controversial ones too. But above all, he was the Robin Hood of Indian cricket, the charismatic leader who changed the way India played its cricket.

http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Robin_hood_and_his_band_of_mavericks/articleshow/3696995.cms

[dhruvdeepak]

40th Test century
300th Test wicket
100th test for an amazing Middle order batsman
Last test for a great cricketer

And an indian victory under 4 days ... regaining the BG trophy which was rightfully ours but for Sydney umpiring...

Wish RD puts up a decent show to round off a great match... a great series

and i saw it all live 

[Blwe_torch]

Ganguly gave India strength of character: Sangakkara
T V Sriram
November 11, 2008 15:27 IST


After Sri Lanka [Images] Cricket Chairman Arjuna Ranatunga, Captain Mahela Jayawardene [Images] and Vice-Captain Kumar Sangakkara took their turns to lavish praise on retired former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly [Images], saying he brought the strength of character in the team.

"In my opinion he is the captain who gave India the strength of character to compete on the world arena and stand up to teams like Australia [Images]," Sangakkara said in his tribute.

Commending Ganguly's achievements, Sangakkara said the retirement of Ganguly, who played last Test of his career in Nagpur on Monday, was a loss to the Asian sub-continent.

"I think it is a sad day when a great player from any country retires especially Dada when he is retiring. I think it is sadder for the Asian sub-continent in general because he has been a fantastic servant of the game," he said.

Sangakkara said he grew up watching Ganguly and learned a lot even while playing against him.

"I have got to know Dada quite well over the years. I know and respect him as an individual and as a great cricket player and I have grown up watching him bat and I have had the pleasure and privilege of playing with him and against him.

"I wish him all the best in the future and I know that he leaves with the respect of all his teammates and also the opponents who have played against him over the years," Sangakkara said.

Jayawardene said Ganguly showed determination while staging a comeback into the team and added the West Bengal left-hander also "showed lot of character probably to leave in his own terms."
http://www.rediff.com/cricket/2008/nov/11ganguly-gave-india-strength-of-character-sangakkara.htm

[Blwe_torch]

Sourav returns to tumultuous welcome

 
KOLKATA, NOV 11 (PTI)
Chaos ruled supreme as Sourav Ganguly returned home this evening after playing his final Test in Nagpur.

Hundreds of fans sang paeans to the cricketing hero as his car was mobbed and halted before he was escorted by the pilot vehicles from the VVIP exit of the airport.

Police had to resort to mild lathi charge to calm down the situation as Ganguly's black SUV with his wife Dona and daughter Sana on board made way to their Behala residence.

With media denied an entry and police patrolling at the main gate, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) officials received Ganguly with a huge six-feet long garland. He was also presented with a bouquet of 113 roses to mark his number of appearances in Tests.

There were chants of "Dada Dada... Ami tumake bhulchhi na, bhulbo na... (Dada we are not going to forget you)" by people from all walks of life.

Fans waved the Tri-colur, carrying Ganguly's posters and flowers.

Among the officials present at the reception at the airport were CAB joint-secretaries Arun Mitra and Biswarup Dey and former secretary Samar Paul.

The CAB will organise a grand function at the Eden Gardens on December 7 to felicitate Sourav in a befitting manner.


 http://www.outlookindia.com/pti_news.asp?id=632055

[kban1]

I'm raring to start another life: Ganguly

Sanjeeb Mukherjea / CNN-IBN

Published on Sat, Nov 08, 2008 at 08:00, Updated on Mon, Nov 10, 2008 at 13:09 i


Nagpur: Sourav Ganguly has been a cricketer like none other: captain extraordinaire and a batsman with rare elegance and class, a fierce competitor and a man who proved people wrong countless times in his career. As the journey ends, Ganguly leaves after stamping his class on the grandest stage of all, against the champions of the world -- Australia.


We relive what has been a staggering career with the words of the man himself; it’s Dada's Last Stand.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: As Indian cricket enters a new era, it bids goodbye to one of its finest warriors and one of its finest captains. Sourav Ganguly, so the journey has finally come to an end.

Sourav Ganguly: Yes, it's just the last few days of Test cricket. Hopefully it goes well for me and the team.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: There has been a lot of talk when it comes to Sourav Ganguly. Like Dada doesn't want to go, he still has at least a year of cricket left in him. What is your take on that?

Sourav Ganguly: I can't say much about the talks but whoever goes, he will always feel there is still cricket left in him. When Mr. Gavaskar finished, I'm sure he too had cricket left in him. I know that if I keep playing I will get runs, in Tests and ODIs.

Inspite of all that, after having been around for such a long time, there is a time when you should just go and there are a whole lot of reasons for it.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea:What made you take this decision?

Sourav Ganguly: Basically, as a player who has been here for so long, you want to do well and then go on a high. One must also realise that if you look at the Indian batting order, number three. four, five, six have played 100 Test matches, which means nearly 13-14 years of Test cricket and time comes when somebody else needs to get in as well.

We all are around 34-35, not much difference in the age of the batting group. Anil is a bit elder and he has already quit. So, instead of all of us going together, it has to be in batches so that the replacements in the team suddenly don't suffer.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: You have always been a straight talker just like the way you have been fearless when you were the captain. There has been so much of speculation about the fact that it is time for the 'fab four' to go and there is a BCCI scheme, what is your take on that?

Sourav Ganguly: No, it's not true. I don't think it is time for all the members of 'fab four' to go. There will be time some day. But I don't think it is time for all of us to go at once. All the talk about the scheme is just speculation and there will be speculation, the sport is so big in India. The rest will go when they want to. They are such big performers, somebody like Sachin has performed for 20 years. And Indian cricket is here today because of their contribution. So, they will go when they want to and nobody can ask them to leave.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Why is it then that the seniors in Indian cricket are never given the kind of respect they deserve?

Sourav Ganguly: I don't agree fully to it. People like Gavaskar and Kapil Dev have gone out with respect. It also depends on the stature. Look at the respect Kumble got when he went out. He decided the night before that he wanted to go because of the injuries and his body wasn't holding up and it's going to be the same with Sachin and Rahul.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: What exactly goes through a cricketer's mind when he says -- 'that's it, no more, I'm retiring now'?

Sourav Ganguly: I don't know what goes inside a cricketer's mind but from my point of view I can tell you that from the time I have announced my retirement, I have been completely at ease and mentally prepared to go, finish with the game and start another life.

It's sport, it cannot last for a long time. Any sport, weather it is cricket, football or hockey, people like Pele and Maradona have gone. They are the greats but everybody has to go. Even Pete Sampras went because your body changes; it cannot be the same when you are 23-24 and when you are 36-37. In international sports, when you are expected to deliver day in and day out, moment you drop from your standards, people will start talking.

Since the day I have decided to retire, I have been completely at ease and have been asked this question many times that I am not feeling any emotion that I'm going. That's because I am completely at ease that I am going.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: There was a belief that some people wanted Indian cricket to do well but did not want Sourav Ganguly to succeed. How true is that?

Sourav Ganguly: I don't get to know these things because these all are stories which come from inside and when you are playing for India you don't need to get all this. And honestly, it does not matter who wants you to do well and who doesn't want you to do well. I am sure otherwise I won't have survived all these years. I have played nearly 430 games for India.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: But when it comes to media or the armchair experts, the 'fab four' comes under heavy criticism, nobody is spared. How do you take it?

Sourav Ganguly: We all know it's part and parcel of the game. You will be criticized. It's such a high profile sport. People will pass their judgments, people will say what they feel. But once you have crossed the ropes, it's about what you do with your bat and people will remember you in the middle for all their lives.

Before the Delhi Test, people were talking about Laxman being left out which was really sad because it was on the basis of just two innings. Then he came and got a double hundred. All you need to do is get runs and the rest will take care of themselves.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Since you have made your comeback, there has been no looking back. Was this a new phase in your life as a cricketer? Was there a new feeling when you went in to bat?

Sourav Ganguly: I was a lot more determined and I started gaining confidence after every Test match. I though I have batted as well as I have ever in my career in the last two years. I just getting better and better as time went by. Not being a captain also helped.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Was it a difficult time when you met your team after a long time?

Sourav Ganguly: It wasn't. I have heard media reports that I was not welcomed but it was perfectly fine. I had played with all of them for a long time and things which happened in the past was a repercussion of all that and when I walked back in South Africa, I could see that all of them were really happy.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: One question which every media person will ask you is the episode with Greg Chappell. A lot of former players have gone on record saying Greg Chappell destroyed Virender Sehwag's batting and Zaheer Khan's fall was because of him and that Indian cricket was divided between Ganguly and Chappell. What we want to ask you is if that phase had not come, then do you think Sourav Ganguly would have been a bigger and stronger individual?

Sourav Ganguly: No, I don't think so. It was a difficult phase for me. All that happened during that one month was a shock. I still can't fathom why these things happened. And secondly, there was no need for that. If I had to go as captain, I had to go. It could have been done in a much better way. All I can say is all the things that happened to me in September didn't need to happen.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Did you feel a little bad?

Sourav Ganguly: Of course, I felt bad.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: What was worse, losing your captaincy or losing your place in the side>

Sourav Ganguly: I think losing my place in the side was worse. I didn't mind losing captaincy. If it had happened in a better way, it would have been easier. But not getting picked was a lot more difficult because I had been captain for five and a half years and it had to go some day.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: What kept you going during those days? There were stories in the media that Ganguly is practicing hard and he is not talking to the media.

Sourav Ganguly: It was just that I wanted to play. I had certain goals in life like playing 100 Tests. I had played 88 games when I was left out. I wanted to be a part of the 2007 World Cup team, I was just 32-33 when I was left out. Everything I did was to get my place back.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Statistics speak for themselves; you are the most successful Indian captain. You galvanised an entire side and changed the way India's outlook in the field. Some people don't give you credit for is that you took over as captain right after the match-fixing scandal had hit Indian cricket and you were new then. How difficult was it?

Sourav Ganguly: I took over captaincy against South Africa at home and we won the series. After that I went to Lancashire for six months, Rahul had gone to Kent and Anil was playing for Leicester. So we all had gone away. And during this time, all these issues came up. So I didn't have to deal with it head on.

By the time I came back, rightfully or wrongfully, the names that were attached to the issue were not part of the team. So, I didn't have to go and leave anybody out. I had to pick a new team and then we went to the Champions Trophy in Nairobi where we played outstandingly. I had a great series and as a team we did exceedingly well. We beat Australia in the quarter-finals and South Africa in the semi-finals. So that probably didn't make me feel in that strong a way that I would have probably felt if we had kept on playing during that period.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: You backed cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh. Now when you see the kind of stature they have gained, there must be a sense of pride that you feel.


Sourav Ganguly: Yes, I am very happy where they have got. It's just not my backing, it was the quality of players they were. People like Sehwag, Zaheer and Harbhajan are match winners.

I'm happy to see Gautam Gambhir has gone forward because he has scored heaps of runs in international cricket and it's showing in his performance in the international arena. I am sure when I leave, Yuvraj will get a chance in the Test side. I am looking forward to seeing him doing well.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: This is something that Indian cricket is getting used to now that they are getting under the skin of the Australians. you, inadvertently perhaps, used to get under the skin of the Australians with names like of Steve Waugh.

Sourav Ganguly: Firstly, for somebody like Steve Waugh, I have immense respect. I am a huge fan of his mental strength. Everybody spoke of his weakness against the short ball but he survived 165 matches in international cricket.

Whatever happened in the field was just a way to win games, it was nothing personal. Over the years, I have realised that India played the best when they were up for it.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Talking about Sourav Ganguly -- the batsman, do you think you neglected your batting?

Sourav Ganguly: No, I didn't. In terms of my one-day cricket, it has been outstanding. In terms of Test cricket, I would have loved to have a few more runs. But I batted at No. 5 and No. 6. It is not an excuse but although I have 7000 runs in Tests, a few more would have better.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: What were the reactions of Sachin, Anil and Sehwag, when you broke the news to them?

Sourav Ganguly: I'm sure they knew that at some stage it had to come. It's going to come for them as well. They were not surprised, they expected it. Everybody has to go in sports. It's my turn today and it will be their turn sometime.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: It must have been an emotional moment for you also?

Sourav Ganguly: It wasn't that emotional buy obviously we would miss it. Initially, you will miss the competitiveness because the pleasure you got by scoring a Test hundred or an one-day hundred, it cannot be valued by anything else. Every time you get a hundred, you feel 'this is what I wanted to do and I am still good at it'. That satisfaction will not come from anything else.

Financially, when you play for 13-14 years in modern cricket, you are far past well-off. That's not an issue.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Do you feel your one-day career came to an abrupt end?

Sourav Ganguly: It was disappointing when I got left out. But I understand that they are trying to build a team for 2011 where at this stage I won't have fit in. It was a call not on the basis of ability but on what is best for the future of Indian cricket and sometimes, you have to do that.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: How do you see the road ahead for Indian cricket?

Sourav Ganguly: I think MS Dhoni has done really well as captain. I think our one-day team is looking good. Hopefully, these young boys will understand the importance of Test cricket because any cricketer will always be remembered as what he did in Test matches.


Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Who will you miss the most in this Indian team

Sourav Ganguly: Everyone, I have shared so much time with them. They have been fantastic players. We have had arguments but that's bound to happen when you stay together for 13-14 years. But I'll watch them on TV and wish them well. They are all fine players and I'm sure they are going to do well.

Sanjeeb Mukherjea: Sourav Ganguly, thank you so much. It has been a fantastic journey.

[kban1]

GOODBYE GANGULY

Jhakas by Sanjay Jha
 

Because you were the only guy referred to as the royal Prince and the high-street bully "Dada" at the same time.

Because when you scored that classic debut century at Lord's, some thought you will be a one-knock wonder. At Trent Bridge, you stunned them all again with a double barrel.

Because when you played those heavenly cover drives, Rahul Dravid said, "There is only God and then Sourav Ganguly on the off-side". Maybe even the Almighty would have just moved to mid-on.

Because you took over as captain when match-fixing clouds hung over, but you made the right bets for the team.

Because with Sachin Tendulkar, you made ODI opening a treat for Indians, and a nightmare for the opposition. It was left right, left right, alright.

Because when Andrew Flintoff ran naked chest on national display at Wankhede, you lost your shirt.

Because when the Oz threatened you with chin music, you played hip-hop with them at Brisbane hitting a majestic hundred.

Because you never quite understood the logic and rationale behind being dropped even after scoring 10,000 runs plus in ODIs and in good nick. You are not good at reading whodunits.

Because they burnt your effigies and hurled stones at your team in 2003, and then you led India to the finals of the World Cup in South Africa.

Because you discovered youngsters, groomed, encouraged and inspired Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Zaheer, Irfan and MSD to become our future heroes.

Because you suffered the humiliation from Greg Chappell and several critics with humility, dignity and grace.

Because you proved that the word "age" is not a four-letter word.

Because when axed, you concealed your hurt and disappointment, went and played local tournaments and sneaked back into the team. Then Johannesburg happened. Your fairy-tale return had happened.

Because you have redefined the word comeback. And grit. And determination. And fighting spirit. And leadership. And many unmentioned superlatives.

Because MSD seems to have taken the leadership baton from you, for the good of Indian cricket.

Because you never traded your self-respect, and when they dropped you for the Irani Cup, you said---Enough!

Because you taught Indians to fight back, not turn around in defeat.

Because even 7,000 Test runs and 10,000 ODI runs is sometimes insufficient to measure your heroics for Indian cricket.

Because the 2001 series win against Australia marked a historic victory in one of the greatest series ever. You were India's captain.

Because if it exasperated Steve Waugh, you let him wait for the toss.

Because hopefully, we will still see you in black shining armour, Prince, for the KKR in IPL next year.

Because on the Lord's balcony, we discovered that you were not six-abs-pack.

Because at Nagpur this time, you had the last laugh, and India, the last hurrah. The final frontier is recaptured.

Because you did a Pepsi ad for your team, even as you stood silently alone in Kolkota.

Because you will not be ever seen in whites again. Scoring runs, bowling those deceptive medium pacers. And perhaps, even misfielding.

Because your fans will borrow from a new TV ad, and say "We miss you so much, it hurts".

Because it is time to let you go home to your family, and friends.

Because now you can watch colleagues like Sachin and VVS and Ishant on the television like all of us.

Because tomorrow morning you will join Gavaskar, Vishwanath, Bedi and Srikanth as a "former" player. An ex.

Because you can now perhaps play football as well at Eden Gardens.

Because it's time to say good-bye.

Because you did us proud.

Because you never gave up.

Because if you don't deserve the salutations from us all Indians, who does?


http://ibnlive.in.com/blogs/sanjayjha/652/52807/goodbye-ganguly.html

[kban1]

Silk and steel

With the bat in hand, Sourav Ganguly was all immaculate timing and delicate touches. As captain, he toughened India up, made them believe they could win against anyone


Kumar Sangakkara

November 14, 2008

Rahul Dravid said it right when he said, "On the off side, first there is god, and then there is Sourav Ganguly."

Sourav burst upon international cricket with two centuries in his first two Tests, and went on to carve a niche for himself as one of the best batsmen in the modern game. With his retirement the game has lost a great player, a strong leader and a colourful and unpredictable character.

Sourav the batsman was an attacker, blessed with time and quick hands, a destructive square- cut and the most elegant of cover-drives. All these attributes I saw when I watched him on TV at Lord's during his debut, completely at ease in the big time, scoring a remarkably mature hundred. This maturity, which I believe comes of self-confidence and mental strength, marked him out as a future captain at a very early stage.

Sourav's batting was all about balance. He had a good stride forward or back, a strong and stable base, a heavy bat to add further to the weight transfer into the shot, and a still head. This enabled him to be dominant on either side of the wicket and to punish any bowler who offered him width.

The only delivery that troubled him consistently through his career - except at the start - was the short ball. The bouncer seemed to make him lose his stability and balance, making it somewhat awkward for him to play it. This perceived weakness has been a hot topic in most dressing rooms during pre-match meetings: how to shake him up with the short-pitched delivery - not always to get him out with it but to make him feel uncomfortable enough to commit an error in the execution of his strokes. The short ball was used extensively against him in Test cricket with some success, and also to a certain degree in ODIs. Whether this was the reason why such an able and talented batsman averaged only in the low 40s in Test cricket is a matter of debate and speculation.

He did manage to overcome this weakness sufficiently and become one of the mainstays of the Indian middle order. In fact, he later evolved his game to take advantage of the short-pitched ball. Though not a natural at the pull and hook, he would at times premeditate his shot based on the assumption that the ball would be short and set himself for it, trusting his eye and hands to rescue him if he guessed wrong. The hundred he scored in Brisbane during the historic tour of 2003-04 was for him a vindication of his self-belief and technique.

It was in the one-day arena that Sourav was most at home. Along with Sachin Tendulkar he formed one of the most feared and successful opening partnerships of all time. He was supremely able to dominate any bowling attack, scoring on both sides of the wicket, unafraid to use his feet to the fast bowlers, arrogantly exploiting the field restrictions by hitting over the top. He handled spin with ease, rotating the strike and clearing the boundary almost at will. I watched him do all this against Sri Lanka at Taunton in the 1999 World Cup, scoring a magnificent 183.

To me, his greatest contribution to Indian cricket was as captain. When first appointed, his attempts to not just earn but also demand respect from the opposition ended up with him spending time in the match referee's room on more than a few occasions.

For Sourav, his only responsibility was to win games for India and imbue his team with a new strength of character and self-belief. He knew that his team was good enough to beat any opposition; his challenge was to make his team- mates believe it too. He never walked onto a cricket field to win friends, but instead did so with an arrogance and self-belief that irked almost everyone. He intentionally irritated the opposition. From keeping the opposing captain waiting at the toss, to playing verbal and mental games, he was a master at the art of gamesmanship. All this to give his team an advantage in a competition.

This fiery attitude did rub off on his team-mates and he seemed to create what seemed a new India. A team that believed in playing tough, in winning from any situation; that believed in themselves and each other; a team that revelled under pressure; and above all a team that played to win. His greatest achievement as captain would no doubt be the tour to Australia in 2004. The Indians dominated the Tests, making Australia scramble to save the series in their own backyard. That tour was marked by remarkable performances by Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sachin, but it is the captain who moulded the team into a winning unit.

Sourav's single-minded drive to be the best has coloured the perception others have of him. The people of Kolkata are devoted to their prince, and while some opposition players might not have him on their Christmas lists, they accord him grudging respect. He has annoyed and irked and he has amazed and thrilled. Sourav has not had everything his way. Friction with selectors, with his coach and administrators, has dogged the latter part of his career, and he has risen to meet all the challenges in his own way, with undeniable success.

He has been a magnificent player, not just for India but for all cricket. He has enjoyed great success and undergone myriad trials and tribulations. Fought for his rights and beliefs and led his team with courage and conviction. Now Dada walks away with his head held high, with that ever-present, almost arrogant half-smile, secure in his wonderful achievements, knowing that he did it his way.
 
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/378084.html