As BCCI President Sourav Ganguly turned 50 on Friday, his former opening partner Sachin Tendulkar shared insights into their friendship and how he saw Ganguly as the captain of the Indian cricket team.
As BCCI President Sourav Ganguly turned 50 on Friday, his former opening partner Sachin Tendulkar shared insights into their friendship and how he saw Ganguly as the captain of the Indian cricket team.
For three and a half decades, Sachin Tendulkar has seen Sourav Ganguly in various avatars – a precocious teenager, a talented India contender, a stylish batsman, a leader and a busy administrator. But for India’s greatest batsman ever, what has stood the test of time is their friendship that is still intact and solid, even after both of them stopped playing international cricket.
As the BCCI president turned 50 on Friday, his “early mate” opened up with PTI, sharing several insights into their friendship and how he sees Ganguly as the captain of the future when he himself leads India. Were.
Ask him how much freedom Ganguly gave to his players during his nearly five-year stint as captain, Tendulkar praised. “Sourav was a great captain. He knew how to strike a balance between giving freedom to the players and giving them certain responsibilities,” Tendulkar said. PTI, “When he took over, Indian cricket was in a transition phase. We needed the next group of players who could set a stage to take India forward.”
wings to fly
Tendulkar feels that Ganguly gave wings to many world-class players to fly and make their place. “At that time, we got top-class players – Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra to name a few. They were talented players, but even talented players early in their careers Support is required, which Sourav provided.
“While their roles in the team were defined, they also got the necessary freedom to express themselves,” he said.
The master batsman revealed that before the 1999 tour of Australia, which was his second last series as captain, it was clear in Tendulkar’s mind who was ready to take over if he decided to step down from the captaincy.
Tendulkar revealed, “Before stepping down, during India’s tour of Australia in which I was the captain, I had suggested Sourav to be the vice-captain of the team.” “I had seen him closely, played cricket with him, and knew he had the right qualities to take Indian cricket forward. He was a good leader. That’s why I recommended his name.
“Sourav has never looked back and what he has achieved for India is in front of all of us,” Tendulkar said. He suggested the name of Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the future captain.
Highest opening pair of Indian Test cricket
Maybe the off-field camaraderie is the reason why on-field, there has never been a better pairing in white-ball cricket in India. In all, the two had 26 centuries and 21 of them came when they opened the batting together.
“Sourav and I gave our best. We wanted to play our part what the team needed and we wanted to win matches for India. But beyond that, we never thought of anything. We are thankful to the people for treating us well. To add the opening pair for us and to appreciate what we were able to do for India,” said Tendulkar, who has always been the epitome of humility.
First tour in 1991 and a spectacular comeback in 1996
Ganguly first played for India in 1992 and then remained out in the woods until 1996, but the two kept in touch even in the days when landlines were the only means of telephone connection.
“During the 1991 tour, Sourav and I shared a room. We enjoyed the time we spent with each other. We knew each other since our under-15 days, so we had a good rapport We met on a few occasions even after the 1991 tour. In those days, unlike today, there were no mobile phones – so we couldn’t keep in touch regularly. However, our friendship continued through all those years.”
Junior year
They first met at a junior tournament organized by the BCCI in Kanpur and then spent a lot of time together at an annual camp in Indore, organized by the BCCI, with the late Vasu Paranjpe in charge.
“We played against each other in Kanpur in a tournament before the camp in Indore. We also went to England to represent Star Cricket Club under the leadership of Kailash Gattani.
“But the U-15 camp in Indore was probably when we spent so much time together and got to know each other. It was the beginning of a wonderful friendship that we both share.”
Flood in Ganguly’s room
Tendulkar remembers how he, another former India player and later national selector Jatin Paranjpe (Vasu’s son) and another boy Kedar Godbole literally “flooded” Ganguly’s room. When he was in a deep sleep, he poured water into the bucket inside the room.
“I remember Sourav sleeping in the afternoon. Jatin Paranjpe, Kedar Godbole and I flooded his room. He woke up and naturally he had no idea what was happening, his suitcases were floating. At last , he realized it was me, Jatin and Kedar did it. Friends keep joking with each other and our childhood was no different,” he said with a laugh.
It was even more fun and at times adventurous during his first overseas trip to the United Kingdom with Star Cricket Club.
“We stayed in schools that were like old castles and naturally it looked a little scary. To make things worse, friends would get together and make plans to intimidate others even more. Years later, When I look back, these are moments of friendship. That stand out and make me smile.”