Sourav Ganguly and Nasser Hussain, while performing their commentary duty on Star Sports during the World Test Championship (WTC) final, reminisced about an old, famous banter between them. In 2002, Ganguly-led Team India squared off against a Hussain-led England for a four-match Test series, only a month after winning the historic NatWest Series final at Lord’s.
Recalling the memory of the third Test in Leeds, Ganguly said that Nasser made a mistake in his tactics, suggesting Andrew Flintoff bowl short-pitched deliveries to him.
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“Nasser kept bowling short at me constantly which helped me have some success in England,” Ganguly said.
England took an early lead in the home series by registering a dominant 107-run win in the opening Test. After the second match ended in a draw, India were desperate to make a comeback in the third Test, which was hosted at Headingley, Leeds. India’s legendary trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar appeared in red-hot form in the Leeds Test. All of them notched up a century in the first innings, helping India post a mammoth 628 runs on the board.
England failed to cover the massive lead comprising both innings and lost the match by an innings and 46 runs. According to Ganguly, he and Tendulkar were at the crease when Nasser Hussain asked Andrew Flintoff to try bouncers. But those short-pitch deliveries didn’t quite trouble the batters on the greenish surface of Headingley.
“I kept saying it to Sachin, ‘Let him bowl at that length’. Because I found it hard when the ball was pitched up,” Ganguly said.
The southpaw scored 128 runs off 167 runs, while Tendulkar made 193 and Dravid played a 148-run knock. Since making a roaring debut with a century at Lord’s in 1996, Sourav Ganguly had a number of memorable outings in England.
Touring the country in three different phases of his career, as a debutant, a skipper and a key player of his team, Ganguly participated in 9 tests on English soil and aggregated a total of 915 runs at an exceptional batting average of 65.35.
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Among the current Indian batters, only Virat Kohli has a slightly better Test record than the legendary skipper, scoring 976 runs in 15 matches.
Speaking about his interesting records in England, Ganguly underlined the confidence factor, saying, “The only need is that you continue your training and ensure that you are focused and in a good position when playing Test cricket. It depended on how my mind was and how I felt about my game. When you are not performing well, you keep hitting balls in the nets. In this sport, self-confidence is crucial.”
I Kept Telling Sachin, ‘Let Him Bowl at that Length’: When Nasser Hussain’s Bouncer Plan For Ganguly Backfired in 2002 – News18
Last Updated: June 20, 2023, 4:14 PM IST
Sourav Ganguly recalls the 2002 tour of England
India’s legendary trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar appeared in red-hot form in the Leeds Test. All of them notched up a century in the first innings, helping India post a mammoth 628 runs on the board
Sourav Ganguly and Nasser Hussain, while performing their commentary duty on Star Sports during the World Test Championship (WTC) final, reminisced about an old, famous banter between them. In 2002, Ganguly-led Team India squared off against a Hussain-led England for a four-match Test series, only a month after winning the historic NatWest Series final at Lord’s.
Recalling the memory of the third Test in Leeds, Ganguly said that Nasser made a mistake in his tactics, suggesting Andrew Flintoff bowl short-pitched deliveries to him.
ALSO READ | ‘MSD Wasn’t Competing Against DK, He was…’: How Dhoni’s Thought Process Made Him a Legend
“Nasser kept bowling short at me constantly which helped me have some success in England,” Ganguly said.
England took an early lead in the home series by registering a dominant 107-run win in the opening Test. After the second match ended in a draw, India were desperate to make a comeback in the third Test, which was hosted at Headingley, Leeds. India’s legendary trio of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar appeared in red-hot form in the Leeds Test. All of them notched up a century in the first innings, helping India post a mammoth 628 runs on the board.
England failed to cover the massive lead comprising both innings and lost the match by an innings and 46 runs. According to Ganguly, he and Tendulkar were at the crease when Nasser Hussain asked Andrew Flintoff to try bouncers. But those short-pitch deliveries didn’t quite trouble the batters on the greenish surface of Headingley.
“I kept saying it to Sachin, ‘Let him bowl at that length’. Because I found it hard when the ball was pitched up,” Ganguly said.
The southpaw scored 128 runs off 167 runs, while Tendulkar made 193 and Dravid played a 148-run knock. Since making a roaring debut with a century at Lord’s in 1996, Sourav Ganguly had a number of memorable outings in England.
Touring the country in three different phases of his career, as a debutant, a skipper and a key player of his team, Ganguly participated in 9 tests on English soil and aggregated a total of 915 runs at an exceptional batting average of 65.35.
ALSO READ | ‘A Singer Losing Vocals but Expecting to Go Out for Concert’: Nathan Lyon’s Sympathy with Injured Moeen Ali
Among the current Indian batters, only Virat Kohli has a slightly better Test record than the legendary skipper, scoring 976 runs in 15 matches.
Speaking about his interesting records in England, Ganguly underlined the confidence factor, saying, “The only need is that you continue your training and ensure that you are focused and in a good position when playing Test cricket. It depended on how my mind was and how I felt about my game. When you are not performing well, you keep hitting balls in the nets. In this sport, self-confidence is crucial.”