The history of Indian cricket can almost be divided into two phases: before Sourav Ganguly and after Sourav Ganguly.
India had already won the 1983 World
Cup and produced legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, and Sunil Gavaskar. But it was Ganguly who changed the team's mindset. He took charge at a time when Indian cricket was recovering from the match-fixing scandal and built a fearless side that believed it could compete against the best, home or away.
Dada backed youngsters, stood up to opponents, and never shied away from making bold decisions. Whether it was on the field or off it, his aggressive approach became his identity and inspired a generation of Indian cricketers.
Here are 3 moments that perfectly captured Sourav Ganguly's fearless attitude:
3. The fairytale comeback in South Africa
One of the toughest phases of Ganguly's career came after his fallout with then-head coach Greg Chappell. The disagreement eventually cost him the captaincy, and he was later dropped from the Indian team as well.
Many believed his international career was over, but Ganguly had other plans. He earned a recall for India's tour of South Africa in 2006 and made an immediate impact. In the tour game against the Rest of South Africa, he scored a fluent 83 to help India register a convincing victory.
The biggest statement, however, came in the first Test at Johannesburg. Facing a quality pace attack comprising Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, and Dale Steyn, Ganguly remained unbeaten on 51 in the first innings. It was the highest score by an Indian batter in the innings and played a crucial role in helping India register their first-ever Test win on the South African soil.
2. Making Steve Waugh wait at the toss
During the historic 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ganguly regularly arrived late for the toss, leaving Australian captain Steve Waugh waiting. The repeated delays became one of the biggest talking points of the series.
Waugh later wrote in his autobiography that he believed Ganguly was deliberately playing mind games to unsettle him. Ganguly, however, later revealed that he was often delayed while searching for the official team blazer that captains were required to wear for the toss.
Intentional or not, the incidents clearly got under Australia's skin. More importantly, India went on to win the series 2-1, ending Australia's record 16-match winning streak in Test cricket in one of the greatest series victories in Indian cricket history.
1. The iconic Lord's shirt-waving celebration
In the final of the 2002 NatWest Series at Lord's, India were chasing a daunting target of 326 against England. After a disastrous start, the young duo of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaifstitched together a remarkable partnership to bring India back into the contest. Kaif stayed till the end and sealed one of India's most memorable ODI victories with an unbeaten 87.
As soon as the winning runs were scored, Ganguly took off his shirt and waved it from the Lord's balcony. The celebration instantly became one of the most iconic moments in Indian cricket. The act was a direct response to Andrew Flintoff, who had celebrated England's ODI series-levelling win at the Wankhede Stadium earlier that year by removing his shirt and running around the ground.
Ganguly's celebration was about much more than winning a cricket match. It symbolised a fearless Indian team that was no longer willing to be pushed around.
