Ganguly’s India, and the 2001 Australia Series That Changed Belief Forever
Twenty-five years ago, on March 22, 2001, India won the Chennai Test match against Australia and registered one of the greatest series victories of all time. At the time, even thinking that Australia were beatable was in the realms of fantasy. To defeat them in reality felt like landing on the moon. It marked Sourav Ganguly’s coming of age as skipper and was a statement from a young team to the world about what they were capable of.
While Ganguly describes it as a freak series and credits all his teammates, the fondness with which his players speak about him as captain shows how positive the dressing room environment was under him.
“He was the best leader I have played under,” said Harbhajan Singh at the Trailblazers Conclave. “He gave us freedom. We weren’t the easiest lot to handle – we were strong individuals – and Sourav knew how to get the best out of us. Dada was special, and we played as a team. We could go up to him and argue if need be. We would discuss plans, and there was an openness about him.”
The same sentiment was echoed by Zaheer Khan. “Dada allowed you to express yourself,” he said. “We were young players, but there was no division between seniors and juniors. If you had a point of view, you could go up to the skipper and speak your mind. That’s what set him apart as a captain.”
“I was once left out of a Test match,” added Harbhajan. “I have to admit I was angry. In hindsight, it was because of the nature of the surface and what the team needed. I remember not speaking to Dada for days. He called me to his room and said, ‘Chote, aa ja. Chai bana raha hoon.’ The first day I didn’t go. The next day he called again, and I went. It took a lot for a captain to say that. This man was special.”
The respect was mutual. Speaking about Harbhajan, Ganguly said: “He had a mind of his own and, most importantly, was mentally extremely strong. In 2002, during a Champions Trophy game against South Africa, they were cruising at one point – around 190 for 1 – and it looked like an easy win from there. I gave the ball to Harbhajan and started setting my field – deep midwicket, long-on, et cetera – when he stopped me and asked what I was doing. He told me to bring the fielders up and said that with a defensive field we would lose the game easily. I said with the field up, we would lose faster. I went with him, and in that over he picked up two wickets, and we went on to win the game.”
A captain is known by his team, and great stories are written when the dressing room is united. That was certainly the case in 2001 under Ganguly. The fondness with which his players speak about him is proof that it was a truly special phase. As we look back at that Chennai Test and the series win, it is only fitting that we celebrate every member of that team for the memories.
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