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THE GREATEST ASSET OF INDIAN CRICKET 

                                    Who is the greatest asset of Indian cricket? Sachin Tendulkar would be the answer on many lips, and since he has fallen out of favour in the last one year with indifferent form, some may name Rahul Dravid. But the reality is that neither Tendulkar nor Dravid has been able to do what Saurav Ganguly has done. He has transformed the Indian team from a group of individuals into a fighting unit, where camaraderie and solidarity is in the air. Neither Tendulkar’s flamboyant aggression nor Dravid’s astute defence alone could have won India matches. But it is Ganguly who has placed India on the path of victory and success with his tactful leadership.  

                                    Ganguly has envisaged a Team India and has executed his plans with impudence and gumption, be it to make Dravid keep wickets or more recently to make Yuvraj open the innings. The cricket pundits have always raised questioning eyebrows at many of Ganguly's decisions. Critics were doubtful of Dravid’s ability to keep wickets, while that adjustment gave India an extra batsman, and victories in the Natwest Final against England in 2002 and in the 4th ODI against Pakistan at Lahore proved the potency of the seventh batsman. True, Kaif played consummate knocks on both occasions, but for Ganguly’s gallant decision India would have lost two series. 

                                   Cricket is as much a mental game as it is a game of skill and practice, where matches are won in the mind and centuries scored only by players who believe they are up to it. In the first test of the recent series Down Under, chasing 323, Indians were 62/3 and then 127/4. Ganguly’s exhibition of sublime batting - scoring an incredible 144 off 196 balls - averted the familiar batting collapse on foreign soil and buried the notion of the Aussie pacemen being unplayable. This knock injected confidence in the Indian side and paved the way for their unprecedented performance. Ganguly has revolutionized the attitude of Indian cricketers, with his never-say-die spirit and refusal to be intimidated by stronger opposition. He has always looked adversity in the eye, and the Indian team has learned never to give up under his captaincy.    

                                   If India has transformed into a force to reckon with in world cricket, it is largely because Ganguly has been audacious about his cricketing moves and ardent about his support for players. In the home series against the Aussies in 2001, Harbhajan was not the original choice as the off-spinner. Ganguly’s belief in Harbhajan’s ability made him insist on his inclusion in the side. Result - the Indians stopped the Aussies dead in their march of 16 consecutive test match victories, Harbhajan ending up as Man of the Series. Similarly, Sehwag was Ganguly’s choice as opener in Australia in spite of his lackluster batting in the practice games. While questions were being raised about Sehwag’s technique and ability to deal with short-pitched deliveries, Ganguly maintained that he was a brave player. And the result - 195 at Melbourne followed by 309 at Multan, all against genuinely quick bowlers.                                                    

                                  Youngsters have thrived under Ganguly owing to his conviction that talented newcomers have to be persisted with through their lean patches. They have been able to perform only because Ganguly has provided them a platform to do so, which was never before available in Indian cricket. Ganguly’s role in shaping the Indian side has been immense as he identifies potential match winners and backs them to the hilt. His candid admission of being a ‘fan’ of the youngsters in the side augurs well for Indian cricket. No other captain of the past would have made a non-regular wicketkeeper keep wickets to pack the side with seven batsmen, made Sehwag open the innings in Australia or insisted on the inclusion of certain players. No other captain has been able to build up a team capable of challenging the best in their era. It is Ganguly’s competence and proficiency as a leader that has translated into India’s success, and that is the very reason why he is the greatest asset of Indian cricket.