Sourav Ganguly's legacy of 2002
Pushpak Sarkar - 04 January 2003

The overall performance of the Indian team under Sourav Ganguly in 2002 has, to say the least, been very positive. Notwithstanding the ongoing debacle in New Zealand, the current Indian team has registered impressive wins throughout the year, including success in a tri-series in England and in the ICC Champions Trophy, where they were joint winners with Sri Lanka.

Unfortunately for Ganguly, a significant section of the Indian cricket followers, media and past cricketers still remain skeptical of his contribution to Indian cricket and his legacy. The reasons are difficult to discern, for Ganguly's accomplishments are fairly significant in the context of Indian cricket.

His recent batting performances, for starters, are not negligible; he narrowly missed 1,000 Test runs for the calendar year 2002 and overall, he has scored 4,100 runs - including nine centuries with a batting average of 40.5 in Tests. In one-dayers, he has consistently been among the top scorers in the world for the last three years and made 8,211 runs - including 19 centuries with a batting average of 43.5 - in ODIs. Other than Sachin Tendulkar, no other Indian, past or present, has scored more ODI centuries than Ganguly. It is clear then that as a batsman, Ganguly may not have a Bradmanesque record, but it definitely stands out by overall Indian standards.

But batting has more to it than mere statistical records. Classy batsmen like GR Vishwanath are remembered not just for the records but because of their stylish strokes. Ganguly's wizardry - in the form of smooth, silken drives anywhere on the off-side - stood out as a trademark right from his first-class cricketing days. At the crease, he combines a certain lazy, aristocratic elegance with deceptive power.

Early in his career for India, Ganguly repeatedly excelled as a match- winner in tight one-day matches. In the Sahara Cup series at Toronto, for example, he single-handedly demolished Pakistan in 1998. In the 1999 World Cup, Ganguly scored 97 not out against South Africa in the lung-opener and then, against defending champions Sri Lanka, Ganguly bludgeoned the hapless Lankans into submission with a pulverising 183.

Since taking over the Indian captaincy in 2000, criticism of Ganguly has been a regular feature. Every loss by the weak and inexperienced team was attributed to the Indian captain. but strangely not much credit was accorded for the successes of his team.

To objectively evaluate Ganguly's captaincy record over the last three years, here are some comparative statistics on his performance as Indian captain. Ganguly has won 13 Tests out of 31 at the helm, a record much better than all the previous captains of India. The next best was that of Mohammad Azharuddin, who won 14 Tests out of 42, with only 1 win abroad. The records of other captains like MAK Pataudi, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Ajit Wadekar and Bishan Singh Bedi are still less favourable. As a captain with 5 overseas Test wins, Ganguly also stands indisputably as India's most successful captain overseas.

It is often forgotten nowadays that Ganguly had an inexperienced team under his charge when he took over the Indian captaincy. The prospects for Indian cricket were looking bleak in 2000, especially after the match-fixing-related exit of senior pros like Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja. On top of this, Anil Kumble and Javagl Srinath were ageing and often broke down with injuries.

Ganguly also deserves much credit in building the current Indian team into what it is today. He has played a major role in grooming young talents like Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag. In spite of initial opposition from the selectors, Ganguly always has backed his own instincts and backed talented players over the long haul.

For all his public aloofness and emotional outbursts, Ganguly is also very much a "player's captain." Most of the Indian players - be it Tendulkar , Harbhajan or Rahul Dravid - have publicly praised Ganguly's leadership, mental toughness and motivating skills. In fact, even a junior entrant like 17-year-old Parthiv Patel has recently acknowledged Ganguly's suppor to his budding career.

Contrary to popular impression, Ganguly has led the team from the front with the bat, with numerous match-winning knocks in crucial moments. For example. against Sri Lanka at Kandy recently, he scored 98 not out in the second innings and ensured the Indian victory. In the lone victory in the West Indies, Ganguly calmed the nerves of the Indian side when wickets were tumbling to score 74 in the second innings and, along with VVS Laxman, notch up the win. Even in the Headingley Test, he scored a century.

In conclusion, looking objectively at all the facts, Ganguly could possibly be declared as the best Indian left-handed batsman and arguably the most successful captain that India has ever seen. This will remain a legacy of Ganguly in Indian cricket history even if he achieves nothing as spectacular in the remaining years of his cricketing career. But on the other hand, if the past is any indication, it is highly unlikely that this mentally tough cricketer will be content to rest on his laurels.

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