The Hindu : Ganguly returns to his regal ways

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 03, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Ganguly returns to his regal ways
By Vijay Lokapally

India captain Sourav Ganguly acknowledges to the cheers of the crowd even as his partner Virender Sehwag walks across to congratulate him in the second Test against Zimbabwe in New Delhi on Saturday. - Photo: V.V. Krishnan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 2. Fog, rain, bad light.., cricket became a casualty of bad weather but one man came good to troop out smiling at the end of the day. He had achieved what he had set out for last afternoon - a big innings for his sake, and obviously for the team too. Sourav Ganguly raising his bat to acknowledge his eighth century in Tests was a poignant moment, one that conveyed the pent up feelings of the man as he pumped his fist in the air, and then resumed his journey with a resolve not softened by his personal distinction.

The second Test of the series did not give any concrete indication of the course it would follow with two days left and the first innings honours still hanging in balance. If Zimbabwe backed itself it was understandable since India would have to bat last if there was going to be an intense battle to finish.

It was entertaining cricket, in three spells, for the spectators who showed a lot of patience in hanging out there despite the uncomfortable chill in the air. The warmth came from some exciting strokes from Virender Sehwag and the disciplined essay by Ganguly on a day when 205 minutes of scheduled time were lost because of the weather.

Zimbabwe had a job on hand - to restrict Ganguly and Sehwag from making runs at a rapid pace. It could not because the bowlers were erratic and then Sehwag produced some outstanding shots that made a mockery of the field placements and the length of the ball. Ganguly too was a delight to watch for the simple reason that this was an innings which was crafted with the man's confidence low and pressure increasing by the day on him to set an example. He did what was best under the circumstances-his bat did the talking in the middle and then the skipper shared his feelings at the end of the day.

``It was an important innings because it came when the team required it. The situation needed a big innings from me and I'm glad I could score some useful runs for the team,'' said Ganguly, underplaying his contribution.

The captain was under siege all these days but he broke free with a knock which was in keeping with his potential. The decision to bat at number three was brave but it had the backing of coach John Wright and Rahul Dravid.

``It was a great gesture by Rahul to let me bat at number three. He's done extremely well at that position and this was just a one-off move. The first choice at number three will always be Rahul,'' admitted Ganguly.

Great relief

The captain played an innings which must have come as a great relief to him and the team. ``It had been a long time,'' said Ganguly as he reflected on the troubled times that haunted him until this evening. This was his first Test century in two years and 145 days-23 matches and 40 innings. It had indeed been a long time, as Ganguly scored his first Test century as captain. It came at the right time.

Gaps sprung at will when Sehwag played his drives, especially the punch off the backfoot, but what really stood out was his sensational timing on this track. Even conceding the average quality of the attack, Sehwag's performance had to be taken note of, for the young batsman's ability to dominate.

Refreshing change

He may be a compulsive strokemaker but Sehwag brings a refreshing change at the crease. Not one bit afraid of leaving his crease, he made left-arm spinner Raymond Price toil, which meant the first round was won. And then Price lost the rhythm that had seen him earn the respect from Sachin Tendulkar. This time Ganguly punished him and Zimbabwe's woes for the day were complete.

The Zimbabwean bowlers were not able to drive home the advantage earned by the casual stroke that saw Sehwag's innings end when he was at his peak, and a silly run out involving the skipper for the second time in the innings. Sanjay Bangar suffered from Ganguly's misleading response. Sent back, Bangar failed to beat Stuart Carlisle's throw.

Sehwag's dismissal was typical of the batsman's weakness to err in concentration with the bowling at his mercy. Having batted flawless, Sehwag flirted with a harmless ball and survived as Andy Flower spilled the catch at first slip. The bowler, Heath Streak, was obviously disappointed but he produced a splendid ball which caught Sehwag in a tentative prod. The leg- before shout received an immediate response from umpire A.V. Jayaprakash.

``He played superbly. He's been in good touch and should learn to make the most of it. He's a free-flowing batsman and an asset to the team,'' said Ganguly of Sehwag, a batsman who serves the need of the team very well.

SCOREBOARD

ZIMBABWE - 1st innings: 329

INDIA - 1st innings:

S. S. Das c Taibu b Streak              13
(37m, 29b, 2x4)
D. Dasgupta lbw b Friend                19
(95m, 57b, 4x4)
S. Ganguly (batting)                   135
(517m, 279b, 21x4, 1x6)
S. Tendulkar lbw b Price                36
(124m, 119b, 5x4)
R. Dravid (run out)                      1
(13m, 8b)
V. Sehwag lbw b Streak                  74
(145m, 118b, 16x4)
S. Bangar (run out)                      4
(27m, 15b, 1x4)
A. Kumble (batting)                     19
(73m, 63b, 3x4)
Extras (b-9, lb-4, nb-4, w-1)           18
                                       ---
Total (for six wkts.)                  319
                                       ---

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Das), 2-58 (Dasgupta), 3-142 (Tendulkar), 4-144 (Dravid), 5-264 (Sehwag), 6-280 (Bangar).

Zimbabwe bowling: Streak 32-8-42-2 (nb-3), Watambwa 18-5-47-0 (nb-1), Friend 17-2-66-1 (w-1), Price 42-13-94-1, G. Flower 5-0- 17-0.

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