Four-Test farewell for the Prince

When Sourav Ganguly first played for India, cricket was still a game. No one spoke in terms of billion-dollar TV deal, 2020 referred to perfect vision and players could sleep easy at night without worrying about the safety of their seven-year-old daughters. His demeanour and strokeplay also harked back to a more relaxed age, and it was one of the delicious ironies that the game throws up that this man who was labelled the prince took Indian cricket out of its traditional fiefdoms and into the embrace of modernity.

When all is said and done, he'll be remembered as India's most successful captain, with 21 wins in 49 Tests. The most famous of those triumphs came against Australia, at Eden Gardens and Chepauk over an unforgettable fortnight in March 2001 and then two years later at the picturesque Adelaide Oval. His own contribution to those wins might have been minimal, but no one should question the fact that it was a team forged by his self-belief and the trust that he reposed in individuals.

We can only speculate as to how much the new selection committee had to do with Ganguly's decision to retire at the end of this series. It gives him a four-Test farewell, much like his old rival, Steve Waugh, enjoyed in Australia in 2003-04. There may not be thousands of red rags waving when he walks out to bat for the last time in Nagpur, but many in a grateful nation will stand up and applaud the man who helped make Indian cricket a force to be reckoned with.

Comments

[Tan]

Steve Waugh at the time he announced his retirement was past his peak and had it been any other player they would have been dropped in favour of the likes of Clarke/Hodge/Love/Lehmann/Hussey et al. Because he was Steve Waugh, the same Steve Waugh that's up there with the Laras and Tendulkars he got the send off that he did. Had anyone else announced there retirement who's game wasn't upto scratch they would have been duly dropped.

I agree with everything you say about Ganguly Karthik, but that's all history and doesn't merit him a starting place in the Indian XI at the moment. We need to stop living in the past and pick the best team from the best players we have at the moment.

I too have cherished his grit, skill, determination etc but you reach a point where someone is part there best. There are others in the team who have past their best but they still have something to offer where Ganguly doesn't I'm afraid to say.

[Karthik Parthasarathy]

"He's no Steve Waugh"- Tan.

He never said he was, and neither did India. But atleat he looked the man in the eye and gave him a taste of his own medicene, which no other captain did.

Hats off to The Prince, for he will always be an Emperor! He forged the side into one that has spine, a bone that long was lacking in Indian cricket.

[Pritam SInha]

Well at the end of the day, you have to concede that Ganguly hogged the limelight for both on field and off field reasons throughout his career. Shows his media savvy skills to me. He understood the new media better as if it were his off side strokes. I somehow feel that he will be in the role of a commentator or something in the media only.

However, we followers will remember Ganguly as the man who looked at the world eye to eye and with same accent and put some pride into Indian cricket different from the meek demeanour we present traditionally since pre-independence days.

Well played Dada. We will remember you fondly. Good luck for future.

[Mujeeb Niazi, Kabul, Afghanistan]

India should be proud of having such a great player in its cricket histroy... He is really great and he should have continued to brighten the name of India. He is a well known player and every one is interested to see his smooth shots on the ground. Afghans really like Ganguly and Sachin. They are both good I think.
Best,
Mujeeb

[Aditya]

Nelsrini, Sachin has scored 241, 154, 146 at Sydney, 119 at Perth, 153 at Adelaide, 177 at Trent Bridge, 194 at Multan, and so on....if you can't find an innings on google doesn't mean that he hasn't scored anything for India...41 Test hundreds don't happen to an average player
(and don't even get me started on the ODI innings!!)
anyway, good luck to Saurav...may he go out on a winning knock!

[Presh]

I wish his the very best for the future. Come on Saurav, make this a series to remember, give us some double-triple centuries to cherish. Let us ask at the end of the series why are you quitting, rather than why not?

[nelsrini]

He should'nt have gone. Fact is, he has more to give to the team than Sachin Tendulkar who has not been a force since he was finished off by Ashley Giles. What has Sachin Tendulkar ever done for India as a team??

We know Sachin has transformed the profile of cricket in India but where are the defining innings? Where is the 153 not out vs aus, the 277 at sydney, the 375, the 501 and the 400 not out? I honestly can't remember a single Tendulkar innings without searching on google.

[Tan]

Should he feature in the XI for this series? I thought India wanted to go with 2 spinners and 3 seamers? If so then one batsman misses out and that has to be Ganguly. If India do play 6 batsmen then this was the time to give one of Raina/Kohli/Sharma/Badri/Yuvraj a full series.

In my opinion Ganguly's been very smart here. He knows that by announcing his retirement now the Selectors/Captain/Coach will have to play him in the series otherwise the media and the country will be after their blood.

If India want to win this series then they shouldn't pick him at all as he simply isn't good enough any longer and should stop dwelling on his record etc and look to play a winning team.

He should not have announced his retirment this late in the day. He's no Steve Waugh and India would do well to release him from the squad now.