SOURAVISM........More than Cricketism: FOR THOSE WHO CHERISH OLD GOOD MEMORIES

Monday, May 19, 2008

FOR THOSE WHO CHERISH OLD GOOD MEMORIES - Waugh Episode

This is a compilation of 2 old articles when we really got to see the agression by this Indian Captain, Our Hero - SOURAV GANGULY. He showed the wrold that an Indian too can be agressive when needed and can reply the oppositions in their language. Here are the articles related to his clash with Steve Waugh.
Source - bbc sports.

Article - 1
Monday, 2 April, 2001, 11:26 GMT 12:26 UK
Ganguly winds up Waugh
Sourav Ganguly exchanges views with Australia's captain

BBC Sport Online reflects a growing animosity between Australian skipper Steve Waugh and India's Sourav Ganguly.

On the face of it, Steve Waugh is not the type of man with whom to pick an argument.

FlashPoint: Ganguly Dismisses Waugh at Indore
Perhaps the most committed cricketer on the planet, his approach has rubbed off on his teammates and helped make Australia the dominant force of the modern era.

Although respectful of the game's traditions, he is no stranger to the not so noble art of sledging.

But a Test batting average of over 50 and a willingness to exert every last drop of energy on his team's behalf have won him admirers all over the cricket world.

Waugh has a compassionate side - to the children of the Udayan home in Calcutta he is a hero for his fund-raising efforts on their behalf.

Late arrival

Australian captain Steve Waugh
Waugh: Test defeat left sour taste

It is

a different story, however, when he crosses the boundary ropes.

A 2-1 defeat in the Test series in India - after a run of 16 successive victories - has been hard to stomach for the Aussies.

And relations between Waugh and home skipper Sourav Ganguly have now taken a turn for the worse.

Waugh has accused his opposite number of deliberately turning up late for the toss throughout the Test and one-day series.

"There's so much to do in the mornings, knocking up, talking to the selectors, that I may have been late by a few minutes," Ganguly responded.

But Waugh was even more incensed at Indore after an incident in which, he claims, Ganguly tried to claim the coin had come down in his favour, when it had not in fact done so.

Provocation

We're ahead in the series and intend staying there
Sourav Ganguly
Ganguly insists he simply bent over the coin to see which side was uppermost and could not tell whether it was heads or tails.
"I could not be bothered what Waugh says. I am within my rights to seek a clarification from the match referee," he said.
Indian newspaper The Hindu believes, however, Ganguly has decided to give Australia a taste of their own medicine.
His approach is understandable if, as has been claimed, he has been subjected to 'verbals' by the Australian fielders whenever he has been at the crease.
Ganguly's reaction when he dismissed Waugh at Indore suggested that their rivalry has now become personal.
One thing is certain - Waugh will not back down from a challenge.
And like elephants, Aussies do not forget.

Article-2
Ganguly: Aussies acted like schoolBoys
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has accused the departing Australian team of childishness.

Even the toss Caused the Controversy

Despite captaining the side that ended Australia's record breaking unbeaten Test run, Ganguly is apparently still seething with bitterness.
"It just puts me off, they are complaining just about anything and everything," the Sunday Age newspaper quoted Ganguly as saying of the visitors.
"They are supposed to be a good team but to see them complaining every time is just schoolboy stuff.
"There seemed to be just too much of it, which started right from the beginning of the series."

Opposite number SteveWaugh targeted Ganguly even before Australia arrived for their three-test tour.
Waugh expressed concern Ganguly would receive specially-prepared pitches to suit his side as the world champion Australians attempted to win their first series in India in 31 years.
India ended Australia's world-record winning streak of 16 matches in the second test and won the series 2-1 before Australia salvaged some pride by claiming the limited overs series 3-2.
Waugh complained late in the tour that Ganguly had arrived late for the toss "seven times" and that Ganguly even once tried to wrongly claim he had won the toss before the match referee intervened.
Ganguly averaged under 20 with the bat in the limited overs and test series as Waugh's men made their dislike for Ganguly obvious whenever he strode to the crease.
"He is a very seasoned pro and knows the business of cricket inside out," Ganguly said.
"He may have realised here that there are others who can play the same mental game," added Ganguly.
"I don't know and do not care whether he respects me or not. But I have a lot of respect for captains and players around the world.
"There were some words exchanged on the field, but that happens in the heat of battle. Also, we proved that they are not unbeatable."
Waugh said: "We got along reasonably well in the end. It's no good airing dirty laundry in public."

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IMPORTANCE OF SOURAV

Well, I can write pages about the importance of Sourav Ganguly. Sourav is not only the most elegant left hander India has ever produced, but also, the most successful Indian captain till date, who has brought us many glorious victories,by his agressive leadership. He is one of the best lefties of recent times, and his shots on the off side, and his cover drives are simply a wonder to look at. He is an useful medium pacer who is capable of breaking partnerships.But the thing which I find most outstanding about the "Bengal Tiger" is his never say die atitude and undaunted courage.He has been wrongfully sacked from the team time and again, but he still had the will to continue. He taught us that perseverance is essential for success, and his comeback to the national team was truly inspiring. Sourav has the guts to protest against wrongs, which often led him to many controversies. But inspite that none was able to restrain him,because the prince of Kolkata is a charismatic, and a committed cricketer. There are many importances of Sourav Ganguly, but to me the most important of all is that he is our dear dada, who has taught us the most valuable lesson in life-to fight and not to surrender no matter how tough the job may be.

Sourav Ganguly - In Brief

Sourav Ganguly, the name itself encapsulates a thousand stories, starts a hundred debatable topics, reminds you of a story that holds more twists and turns than any soap opera. Dada, as he is affectionately called, captained Team India from 2000 to 2005, and during that tenure led India to incredible success including the finals of the 2003 World Cup. In a career laden with achievements and controversy, Saurav Ganguly has occupied the centre stage in Indian cricket for over a decade. But more than anything, its his batting that really captivates any fan.One of the cleanest strikers and sweetest timers of the ball, Saurav Ganguly is an exceptional player of the off side. So much so, that his successor as captain, Rahul Dravid, once commented, On the off side, first there is God, then there is Ganguly. There isn’t an attack that he has not mercilessly slaughtered, no gap in the field that he hasn ot found. And he has amassed 18000 runs in the process, and his partnerships with Tendulkar are the stuff of legends. The fastest to 6000, 7000, 8000 and 9000 runs in ODIs, the Prince of Calcutta has many records to his credit. But more than the statistics, it is the sheer joy of watching the Bengal tiger in all his glory, that is worth mentioning. Just bring on the off-spinner in front of Ganguly in form, and he pounces on the chance. He steps to the pitch of the ball and hits a clean blow straight out of the ground, a shot which has now become his trademark.The rise of Ganguly to prominence has been as exciting as his batting. Cricket was not his first love, and he only took to the sport as a pastime. He used his brothers equipment, who was a lefty, so he turned into a left handed batsman as well. And when he started excelling in the sport, further drama followed in the Ganguly household as his inclusion into the Ranji squad was at the cost of his brother’s place. He didn’t let them down however, and was soon selected into the national squad. And he flopped badly to spend the next few years in anonymity. But not being one to step back ever, he finally found a place in the Indian squad in the 96 tour of England. What followed was a century on debut and in his second match. Saurav Ganguly had made a mark on world cricket and was here to stay. The following years saw him rise to the top of world cricket, with an average of 40+ and many memorable knocks like the 183 against Sri Lanka in the 1999 World Cup. What added to Ganguly’s utility was his handy work with the ball as well. A gentle medium pacer, he has hundred ODI wickets and many feel he could have done a lot better in that department.An aggressive character on field, he was finally made captain of team India in 2000. And he was just the kind of Captain that a youthful side trying to emerge from the shadows of match fixing needed. His fire and determination spread through the team and he led team India to unprecedented success. Wins in away test series, a run of 13 consecutive finals of tournaments, Champoions trophy and World Cup finals followed. The image of a jubilant Ganguly swinging his shirt from the Lords balcony as India won the Natwest Trophy is a part of cricketing folklore. He presented the team with character and a will to fight, a will that often led him into trouble with match officials and kept him wrapped in controversy always.But his personal form declined over the years and he was often criticized for being unable to play the short ball. After many failures, and public fall outs with coach Greg Chappell, he was unceremoniously dropped from the side and his career looked over.But yet again, after a 15 month lay off, the Prince of Calcutta roared back to grab a man of the series award in his return series in Feb 07,and a beautiful double century against pakistan in dec 2007. A Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee, Ganguly is known to be a quiet man with nerves of steel. A devoted husband and a religious person, his marriage with wife Dona is no less eventful than any Hindi movie.He once again looks ready to shine, to mark his territory and as always, and to provide a solid answer to all those who ever doubted his abilities. No matter how he fairs, one thing is for certain, that there is a lot many chapters to be written in the amazing tale of our beloved Dadaa.