Sourav Chandidas Ganguly
Born: 8 July 1972, Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bengal
Major Teams: Bengal, India, Lancashire.
Known As: Sourav Ganguly
Batting Style: Left Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium
Test Debut:
India v England at Lord's, 2nd Test, 1996TESTS
(including 19/12/2002)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 67 112 11 4100 173 40.59 48.18 9 20 51 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 343.2 72 1154 23 50.17 3-28 0 0 89.5 3.36
ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS
(including 23/03/2003)
M I NO Runs HS Ave SR 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 229 221 18 8720 183 42.95 74.68 22 50 81 0
O M R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 600 28 2988 85 35.15 5-16 1 2 42.3 4.98
FIRST-CLASS
(1989/90 - 2002/03; last updated 08/04/2003)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 166 262 33 9900 200* 43.23 17 61 127 0
O M R W Ave BBI 5 10 SR Econ
Bowling 1301 207 4485 117 38.33 6-46 3 0 66.7 3.44
LIST A LIMITED OVERS
(1989/90 - 2002/03; last updated 07/04/2003)
M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct St
Batting & Fielding 317 304 35 11839 183 44.01 31 65 105 0
O R W Ave BBI 4w 5w SR Econ
Bowling 1039.3 4978 145 34.33 5-16 4 2 43.0 4.78
- Explanations of First-Class and List A status courtesy of the ACS.
His batting is the perfect blend of elegance and power. He has all the traditional style that goes with left-handed batsmanship. With superb timing he almost caresses the ball to the boundary. But when the mood gets to him - particularly in the one-day game - his batting can be a murderous assault on the bowlers and a delight to the spectators. The manner in which he steps out and pounces on the ball, like a tiger on a hapless prey, is something to be enjoyed on the spot.
But then Sourav Ganguly is not just strokes and class and powerful batting. He has a sound temperament and the ability to rise to the big occasion. Only a person who is mentally strong could have responded in the manner he did to widespread criticism to his selection for the tour of England in 1996. When he first went as a teenager to Australia in 1991-92, he was far from ready for the big time despite his manifold gifts.
By the time he made his comeback, though, a mixture of talent and hard work had made Ganguly capable of the dream feat with which he launched his Test career. Since then, it has been impossible to envisage an Indian team in both forms of the game without him. His success in the recent Test series against the West Indies saw him finally address the one major flaw that had been plaguing his batting - his suspect technique against the short ball. On the strength of his figures and undoubted class, he has taken his place as among the `Big Three' of the Indian batting order.
Few would deny him his place as probably the greatest Indian left-hander of all time. As a captain too he has come into his own. With five away Test wins, he now stands as India's most successful overseas captain. That fifth Test win was achieved at Leeds during the English summer of 2002, and on a personal note Ganguly managed to shrug of his dismal run of form by scoring a brilliant hundred in that game. The tour of England also saw Ganguly's one-day captaincy reach a high-point, beating England in that memorable NatWest final at Lord's.
The Test and ODI series in New Zealand was a disaster for Ganguly and his team, as they struggled on the seaming tracks. Ganguly could easily walk into cricket immortality if India brings home the World Cup 2003.