If Anil Kumble was the colossus, Sachin Tendulkar the champion, Rahul Dravid the craftsman, VVS Laxman the sorcerer, then Ganguly was the inspiration. These were the words described in an article I read in CricInfo and so true are these…
Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, proudly know as “Dada” by Indian fans “Maharaj” in Bengal and “the God of offside” in the cricketing fraternity took a bow yesterday from International Cricket. This mans greatness and hunger for success reflects in his own way of loving the sport. With a fine gesture from MSD, who allowed him to lead the side the very last time in the last minutes of the game, still reflected that this man is not over yet, and he responded to the gesture with same passion as he captained India in his prime.
Dada, in his career has been loved and hated by so many in the same breath, and in this cricket fanatic country, with so impatient & ungrateful fans, and amongst the political clout of BCCI, having played 113 test match and scoring 7000+ runs with an average of 42; is a great career for any cricketer who aspires to play for India.
I have been a Dada fan, from the very beginning, and he was the one who raised the bar of Indian cricket as a team, which at one point was dominated by individual performance, to a level, where these boys were hungry for success, and just not playing to gallery or record books. He infused that passion, that killer instinct, and the conviction that India could take bold decision and live up to it.
There were many, who misunderstood “dada”; be it his team, critics, selectors, or we as fans. It was disheartening to see people commenting and writing him off every time his bat did not click or his game plan back fired. I hope we as fans where so impatient and fanatic with our government machinery and politics, rather than just Cricket. I remember taking “dada’s “ side every time discussions came up, and the funny part was people always spoke about cricketing averages and numbers for all players except dada, who basically ran into an emotional quotient of his fans and critics which oozed out emotions which may or may not be logical!!
For everyone’s clarifications, here are some of his stats, you may like to revisit.
These figures were the least referred figures probably in his charismatic career, while speaking in context, and his antics were more popular all through his life. Be it his “shirt off” antic at Lords, or his “not so good running between the wicket”, or his “fitness” or his “dadagiri” as a captain but end of the day it was this man who taught us how to win abroad, and a great person like Kumble approves of that. It was this man who believed in his few good men and groomed them to be pillars of Indian cricket today. It was this man, who led a team which came so close to repeat the heroics of 1983.
Today when he goes, he leaves a vacuum in the international cricket, he may not leave too many records behind for people to chase, but he surely leaves a legacy in cricket and is an inspiration to many individual from various walks of life, not just cricketer with his fighting spirit and never say attitude.
For me he was an enigma who shall be missed on the international cricket, and I salute this great man of Indian Cricket and wish him the best!!
“Dada, we’ll Miss you” …
