A tribute to Dada Part4: Mother of all comebacks and a humble retirement.

view part1 part2 and part3 at these links...

Many things go wrong in life but not so much and so horrible as it happens with Ganguly.. His dispute with the then coach Greg Chappell resulted in many headlines during 2005 and early 2006. Greg Chappell sent an email to the BCCI stating that Ganguly was unfit to lead India and that his "divide and rule" behavior was damaging the team. This email was leaked to the media and resulted in huge backlash from Ganguly's fans. Eventually due to his poor form and differences with the coach he was stripped of his captaincy and dropped from the team.

Sourav was not dropped based on his performance. He was dropped, for reasons other than cricket. Whatever it is, if you look at his statistics as a player, do you think he should be dropped ? Isn't there any respect for a senior player ? He has done so much for the team, which has made the whole of India swell with pride. But, the people in selection committee, do whatever they feel. You could easily name a lot of players with poor performances at that time (2005-06). And it was Ganguly who was selected to be dropped, the selection committee made a mockery of themselves and ridiculed Dada.


He was dropped from the ODI side on account of fitness and age and that he did not fit into any role in the side., an angry Bengali public greeted the team bus, chanting and waving banners with anti-Chappell and pro-Ganguly sentiment. Cameras captured greg's middle finger being displayed to the protesters. During the match, the Indian team were booed and the South African batsmen were cheered as they accumulated the runs necessary for a ten-wicket victory. He was then picked for the test squad as an batting ALL-ROUNDER only to be dropped after a single match giving way to kaif.. Dada was overlooked for the subsequent series against England and west indies, juggled in and out of the team on many cases.. Ganguly was humiliated. Comments and suggestions started pouring in asking him to retire and that there was no more chance for him to stage a comeback, he was on the wrong side of the thirties already and he needn't prove his mettle and talent to anyone anymore, he has lost the appetite to score runs, he is fragile, he breaks up the team..

Well, why was he dropped ? Lets analyze..

• Divide and Rule- Ganguly disintegrates the team, applies divide and rule policy.. Yes, it was dada who did it.. brought in viru, yuvi, pathan and kaif- without the backing that dada gave them in their initial days of failure they wouldn't have been in the team.. viru would have still lost all his hairs just playing for Delhi, yuvi would be confined to Mohali and pathan a lost entity.. Is this act disintegrating the team? well, greg says so.. lets accept..
• Job utterly important to his life and finances- Ganguly clings onto the team because that is important to his life and finances. He was born into a family with immense wealth. His father is one of the 5 richest in Kolkata, whose printing business is the 3rd largest in Asia, a family whose annual turnover is nearly 80 crores (says a website).. Yet Guru Greg, with his laptop has found out that it is necessary for "his life and finances". and greg being an honorable man in cricketing fraternity we all will believe it in one go....(no reasoning permitted)
  
• Poor Batting Form- very low average in test cricket. Agreed.. poor form.. the replacement wasn't great., Ganguly dropped for an additional bowler and is then brought back on a green pitch (where additional quickie is not required- pundits said so), asked to open the innings. Performance of many players inclusive of Sachin wasn't that great and to be dropped for Robin Uthappa makes no sense.. Youngsters is the way forward, Kudos to chappel... Hail Guru Greg !!
  

• Poor fitness - Ganguly least interested in fitness drills and exercises.. Very true that the likes of VVS, Rahul, Jaffer, Kumble and others were superb outstanding fielders second only to Jonty Rhodes who could dive and stop a ball from going to the boundary. How I wish there was a video showcasing these people's fielding!! Not that Dada's was any good, but applying the same parameters should have seen the exit more players and not just Ganguly.. Yet, Greg spots only Dada.. And he is to be believed...

But then, we're talking about Ganguly, a warrior who has done it so many times in the past by proving everyone wrong, walking out of the international arena and having a hit almost everyday, away from the public eye, away from the grasp of media. Practice sessions had more intensity and all of it conveyed one thing, his purpose to prove the selectors wrong one more time, and probably one last time.
Lot of people said I should retire but I still feel I have it in me to play those innings again, and perhaps even better ones. Why else would I be fighting to get back into the Indian team?
– On his chances of making a comeback - Nov 2006

And then came an ad of an aerated drink with the lines, "Aap apne Dada ko bhule toh nahin", meaning I hope you people have not forgotten your Dada.



Emotions run high, sympathy pours in and when you see a warrior look this helpless, a man who was known for staging a battle, the Maharaj, was all by himself... Determination to comeback, willingness to prove selectors wrong, an opportunity to show the world that he has cricket left in him, a wish to contribute to the Indian National Cricket team, the thirst for runs, the pride to wear the Indian Blue once again, and moreover, the joy of playing the sport that runs in your blood, the sport that made you a star, the sport that brought fame, the times that the nation cherished under him-

Dada wants to comeback...

Dada promises a comeback...

Dada works hard to come back... And

Dada comes back.........




Air-tickets for South Africa........................................
The "great Guru" Greg picks youngsters in Wasim jaffer, Anil Kumble, ODI specialist in Dinesh Mongia, and a brilliant bowler + an excellent fielder in Munaf Patel.. psst:greg is building a young team for the world cup.. (haa don't question his credibility man, you are weak in math if you say Anil is 36 yrs old he is a energetic youngster fit for ODIs)... India humiliated in the ODIs with the best margin of losing being 80runs...
Ganguly is picked for the Tests.
I was training at the Eden Gardens when a local reporter informed me that I was selected. I am happier than the day I made my debut.
- On his recall for the SA tour

Jet-lagged he was and his legs ached. A shower at the team-hotel and he was quickly transported to the cricket ground.
“Welcome back,” a voice boomed and soon a tall man stretched out his hand. Greg Chappell welcomed Ganguly during the Indian team practice session. The Dada had reached his destination.
one of the most significant handshakes
The signs were clear — the Dada was committed on his comeback.
India are 1 for 2, 37 for 3, 59 for 4 against Rest of South Africa. Ganguly comes in and scores 83 , India win, and take momentum into the Test series.Scores a half-century with the tail in the Jo'burg test as India reach a crucial 249 and bowl South Africa out for 84. They go on to win by 123 runs, but lose in the final Test to squander an opportunity for a rare series win. Ganguly is the leading run-getter for India. A great comeback in ODIs too-98 against WI in Nagpur.. And then, there was nothing stopping this Prince, no looking back as he went on with one good knock after the other, taking his side from positions of discomfort to safety and then to winning positions. A much awaited test 100 in Chittagong.. A lot was made of the Chappell-Ganguly showdown and the confrontation was unfortunate. But it did make Ganguly introspect and return a better batsman and a cricketer. In Ganguly’s comeback, Chappell deserves some credit. The then 35-year-old Ganguly was in the form of his life; he could meddle the ball in sleep. He made runs on pitches with pace and lift in South Africa, conjured a couple of gems when the ball swung around in England and and then the home series against Pakistan was the all-time best for him. His performance in front of the home crowd was never one to be proud of and he came back to smash a wonderful ton against the arch-rivals at the Indian Mecca of Cricket (more importantly, the Royal Bengal Tiger's own den). Double ton was another feat he would have wanted to achieve and he didn't have to wait too long, Bangalore, where the next test was played saw that coming from the bat of Sourav. All in all, it was an unforgettable series for Dada and all his fans, in which he scored the second most number of runs in a 3 match Test series by an Indian batsman. With 534 runs in three Tests at an average of 89, and is the Man of the Series. Ganguly's honeymoon period seemed never ending and his success story went on in the home series against the Proteas too where he scripted a brave 87 on a minefield of a Kanpur pitch to help India draw level in the 3 Test series. It had been a phenomenal year for Sourav where he went on to achieve personal milestones every now and then, his contributions at the same time didn't go in vain as India went on to win quite a lot of matches. It was a glorious 2007 where he ended up as the second highest run-getter in Tests that season, fifth in the ODIs list. He was also named the Asian Cricketer of the Year for the brilliant season. The Aussie tour, ordinary performance.. Viral fever... Dropped from ODI side... You heard it right, rather read it right... The dreaded word "dropped".. Why ?
Dunno... Poor show by the entire team against mendis and murali in the emerald isles, with Sachin and Dravid averaging very less but hey, only Sourav performed badly... The selectors are up with it again- AXE... Sourav dropped.... Not even picked for the Irani Trophy(considered to be a dress rehearsal before the all important Aussie Test series)...

And perhaps this was the time when the former skipper felt that this was it and decided to call it a day.
makes the announcement. "Just one last thing lads, before I leave," he says. "I just want to say that this is going to be my last series. I've decided to quit.(lumps in his throat, emotional) I told my team-mates before coming here. These four Test matches are going to be my last and hopefully we'll go on a winning note."

It's not only the end of Ganguly's career, it's the end of an era.
A fine batsman, by far the best left-hander the nation had seen, a spirited fighter, who fought for himself and his team-mates.
He is etched in the history of Indian cricket not just for what he has achieved on field but for providing the world with a lesson in the fine art of comebacks. It’s a lesson that those sidelined would do well to adapt to their circumstances. He might have been dealt a few knocks in his career but his spirit was never broken. Rather, it egged him onto greater heights. He deserves the credit and the support. This career has been a treat to watch, one to treasure. Thank you Sourav for making cricket watching all the more pleasing during all these years. Thank you Sourav for making the Indian Cricket team what it is today.

I would like to be remembered as someone who has taken Indian cricket forward…someone who tried his best every time he went out to play for the country.I let the boys free. I wanted to lead a bunch of fighters. I was very close to a lot of them and they enjoyed my trust. They knew that I was a man who would not hurt anyone from behind. I did lose my temper when I did not see the boys putting in their effort. I do not mind non performance with effort.... But all my complaints and anger would finish on the field. Off it, my reactions were different. I am very hard on people on the field. But once we are off it, I forget the whole issue and don’t bring it up.
--Dada