Pune Warriors vs Deccan Chargers - Live

Last week, we had the absolute pleasure of watching Pune versus Deccan live at the Sahara Stadium in Pune. Pune lost the match, but the honour of watching Dada live was worth it! He played a short but sexy innings of 25 or so, with a huge six and a bunch of sweetly times boundaries. We saw him fielding up close, near our boundary, saw him chasing the ball with the hair locks floating behind his head, his cap obliging them by falling off at the slightest movement. We saw him marshalling his troops feverishly.

The stadium itself was super impressive, and the feeling of climbing up the short flight of stairs,and finding yourself on top of the stands, filled with thousands of screaming fans, was amazing!

The arrangements also were top class.. heavy but unobtrusive security, very nice traffic flows and parking, free packaged water and namkeen, and clean toilets. Also, a lot of options including pizza and ice creams delivered to your seat. Add the refreshing breeze blowing across the ground, and you couldn't really be asking for more!

Here are some pics that speak for themselves!

The Warriors celebrate the fall of a Deccan wicket

Expensive hairdos!

Probal cheers the Warriors (or was it Dada?)

The ladies Warriors with their coach

The majestic Sahara stadium

The cheergang

The main stand

And last but definitely not the least, the cheergirls!

Dada Of The Match!

What a game.. Pune putting up a stunning 192, and then beating the strongest team in the competition, Delhi, by 20 runs. And Dada was all over today.. first, a 40 odd score peppered with some sublime shots, and then coming back so strongly with the ball, putting in 4 amazing overs, starting off with a crucial wicket, and then one more, being involved in a bunch of great saves and catches, and of course, some shrewd captaincy. No wonder, he bagged the Man of the Match!

Here is Dada at his best today, after the KP wicket...

Nehra made good for his past lapses, and Alphonso Thomas was another very, very impressive bowler for the Pune Warriors.

Delhi started off really well, Viru and KP really took Pune to the cleaners, but all it needed was for Dada to get the breakthrough with KP, and Viru was scalped by Kartik.

Next match in Pune on the 26th, and I will be there at our super sexy stadium!! :)

Dada's Back

What a happy sight... seeing the god of offside back in the middle. Dada took the field for the Pune Warriors, and played a beautiful innings of 30 odd at more than a run a ball, including a fantastic six... way to go, Dada!

Dada in a NutShell

January 1992: Makes ODI debut against Australia, scores just 3 before being dropped.

June 1996: Scores century against England at the Lord's in his Test debut and follows it up with another century in the very next Test at Trent Bridge.

August 1997: Scores his first ODI century in Colombo against Sri Lanka in his 32nd match.

September 1997: Leading scorer and wicket-taker in the Sahara Cup as India thrash Pakistan 4-1. He scored 222 runs at 55.5 and 15 wickets at 10.66. Wins four Man-of-the-Match awards in five matches and Man of the Series.

November-December 1997: Top scorer and Man of the Series in the three-Test home series against Sri Lanka with 392 runs at an average of 98.

May, 1999: Scores 183 in Taunton against Sri Lanka in the World Cup, then highest ODI score by an Indian.

September 1999: Captains India for the first time in the Coca-Cola Singapore Challenge tournament, against West Indies after Tendulkar pulled out due to sore back.

February 2000: Joins Lancashire.

February 2000: Named captain for the five-ODI home series against South Africa after Tendulkar relinquished post.

March 2001: Led India to 2-1 win against Australia at home in the historic Test series.

November 2001: Ganguly and five other Indian players are warned for excessive appealing during the Port Elizabeth Test by match-referee Mike Denness. Handed a suspended ban for one Test match and two one-day international matches.

July 2002: Takes off shirt at the Lord's balcony after win in the NatWest Series final.

April 2004: Becomes the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Pakistan. Also with 15 Test wins, he becomes India's most successful captain.

October 2004: India lose home series against Australia, first time after 35 years.

March 2005: Draws home series against Pakistan.

April 2005: Banned for six matches for a slow-over rate during ODI series in Pakistan. India lose series 2-4 to Pakistan.

September 2005: Reveals in Zimbabwe that the then coach Greg Chappell had asked him to step down from captaincy.

November 2005: End of five-year reign as Test captain as Rahul Dravid takes over the reins against Sri Lanka.

January 2006: Picked for the Test series in Pakistan.

December 2006: Picked for Test series against South Africa, returns as leading run-getter.

January 2007: Scores 98 in his ODI comeback in Nagpur against West Indies.

July-August 2007: Scores 249 runs at 49.80 in India's series win in England.

November-December 2007: Top scorer (534) and man of the series in the three-Test series against Pakistan with. Scores first Test century at his home ground at Eden Gardens. Slams his first double-century in Bangalore.

December 2007-January 2008: A mixed Test series in Australia (235 runs at 29.37, two half-centuries). Axed from ODI squad.

October 2008: Announces retirement after the Test series against Australia.

November 10, 2008: Plays his last match against Australia at Nagpur

From: utvi.com

India Thrash The Aussies

India beat Australia very comfortably in the 4th test to win the Border-Gavaskar trophy with a 2-0 series win in Nagpur today, to hand Saurav Ganguly an unbeatable farewell gift :)

Among a lot of other things, this series will be remembered for awesome reverse swing bowling by Zaheer and Man-of-the-Series Ishant Sharma, some awesome display of batting by Gautam Gambhi, Sehwag, Tendulkar, VVS and Dada - one or the other firing when it mattered the most, some awesome captaincy by Dhoni, and some shockingly inexplicable tactics by Ponting when he preferred to get through some quick overs by his part-time bowlers to make up for a low over rate and avoid getting a one test ban, when he should have gone all out to get India bowled out on the 4th day of the final test.

But the most beautiful moment of the series was undoubtedly when Dhoni handed over the captaincy of the team to Dada for the final moments of the test, when Australia were nine down, letting Dada lead the team to the series victory. Such a beautiful gift for a man who gave his everything to the team for over a decade.

And Dada didn't disappoint his fans, coming up with a century earlier on, and then a fighting 85 in his last test. And though his last innings ended up being a first ball duck, in the grand tradition of Bradman, he certainly couldn't have asked for a better way to go out... and of course, he did get time, one last time, to take off his shirt in the galleries for his fans!

It may not be the end of the Aussies, and India may still have some way to go before they can be crowned the number one test team in the world, but one thing is certain... the invincibles have lost their crown! A new India can certainly aspire to lay claim to that throne!

Dada's Ton

Dada completed yet another fighting century, in the second test of the Australia tour to India... just hope he rethinks his decision to quit after the tour... this team and this country will really miss him!

Dada Retires

Dada, the man who never stopped fighting, has finally called it a day. This country will miss him. An icon of leadership, fighting spirit and determination, Dada has inspired millions around the globe. I'm looking forward to him signing out with a bang in the Australia series... and I really hope he continues to inspire and lead the country in the years to come...

KKR's 3rd Win

KKR broke their 4 match losing streak after an awesome start in the IPL with their 3rd win at Eden Gardens over Dravid's Bangalore Royal Challengers today, powered by a match winning 3 overs for 7 runs with 1 wicket by Dada (he got Dravid clean bowled :))

The IPL is now at the half way stage, and while KKR are not in the top 4 yet, there's a long way to go, and who knows, this performance might be what KKR needed to resume their march!

Dada: Man of the Match and Man of the Series!

Dada followed up his 239 in the first innings with a smashing 91 in the second, coming so close to being only the 7th person in history to get a double and a century in the same test, as India wrapped up the 3 match series against Pakistan 1-0. Rightfully, with more than a 1000 runs this season, Dada also bagged the man of the match and the man of the series awards - all this from a man who was not even sure of his place in the side a year back!

Way to go, Dada! Way to go!

Pakistan down, Australia, here we come!

Demolition Man in Dancing Shoes

That's how I can best describe the Maharaja today - mercilessly crushing the opposition, and making the carnage look like art!

Dada Gets 200

A sell out crowd at the Chinnaswamy, and millions of fans across the world, stand up to applaud one of the biggest ever comebacks, in cricket and in life, as Dada gets his 200... and over 1000 runs in the last 10 tests, since his comeback to the Indian team.

Dada, you are an inspiration! Thank you!

One day, I wanna write a book on you!

Third Test - Dada Rocks

Yet another match, yet another test for the Maharaja of cricket, and yet another time, he rises to the occasion magnificently!


Down in the dumps at 60/4 on the first day of the 3rd test in Bengalore, India were with their backs to the wall. That was before Yuvi joined Dada, the two left-handers taking the Pak attack head on, hammering contrasting and beautiful centuries and putting on 300 runs for the 5th wicket, the test firmly back in their grasp. While Dada was sublime and deft in his offside play, relying on his timing, placement and loads of experience, Yuvraj was youthfully aggressive and played some beautiful shots that had 4 written on them the moment the ball touched his blade.


And when he crossed his 100, Dada hugged him tight, a touch longer than would be expected - and it was a scene that truly warmed hearts - the master hugging his disciple. And as Yuvraj said later, it meant a lot to him that Dada, the one person who had backed and encouraged him all along, was there when he got his landmark.

India ended the day at 365/5, Yuvraj losing his wicket at the fag end of the day. At the time of writing this, towadrs lunch time on day 2, Dada continues the good work - on 166, and is now eyeing his 200. He has just stepped out to hoist Danish over long off for a huge 6.

India Take Command in Second Test

After winning the first test, India took complete command in the second test at Eden Gardens against Pakistan. After declaring at 616/5 yesterday evening, Kumble struck to reduce Pakistan to 50/1 at stumps, and by lunch on day 3, Pakistan is in a deep hole at 154/5, with more than 2.5 days to go and still 462 runs behind.

Earlier, the Indian run machine made a mockery of the once-dreaded Pakistani attack to put up a mammoth total. Wasim Jaffer struck a masterful double century, VVS Laxman and Dada both got centuries, while Sachin, Dravid and Dhoni got half centuries. Dada's first century on his home ground was the highlight of the day yesterday, with the match being completely one-sided (just like the rest of thr tour has been!) - the huge crowds giving him a standing ovation. Unfortunately, he was dismissed quickly after his 3 figure mark, trying to heave Salman Butt out of the stadium in an effort to further up the scoring rate towards a quicker declaration.

What a comeback/performance this has been by all the seniors in the team, once marked for retirement by the erstwhile Aussie coach!

Life Comes Full Circle for Ganguly and Dravid...

Dravid has been dropped from the Indian one day side for the initial matches against Pakistan, and is likely to stay out for the whole series. Life has come full circle for the two, after Dravid was part of the decision to leave Ganguly out more than a year back.

Dada fought and came back with a bang - will Dravid be able to do the same?

Dada - The King of Comebacks

First the test matches, then the one dayers - Dada has stamped his authority on both versions of the game and silenced his critics and everyone who wrote him off, letting his batting, his fielding and his bowling do the talking! The Man of the Series in the home series against Sri Lanka, the Prince of Calcutta has truly proved himself the King of Comebacks!

Way to go, Dada, let's go get the World Cup!

Sachin versus Sourav :)

Two of India's most accomplished cricketers - Sachin and Sourav - played against each other for the first time in their lives today. The occasion was the final of the Ranji match between Mumbai and Bengal at the Wankhede today! Sachin faced 14 deliveries from Dada and scored 4 runs (including his century mark).

Will be interesting to see how Sachin fares when he bowls to Dada in the next 1-2 days!

Dada has Arrived!

Like a new baby, Sourav Ganguly came back into the Indian team exactly after nine months. But his arrival wasn’t marked by joy or euphoria; rather, it was greeted with skepticism and cynical laughs. Nobody really knew how Ganguly would blend with the others; nobody dared to think how the old differences would be tackled. Worse, nobody really believed he would last long on the hard and bouncy pitches here against express speed and raw aggression.

In the practice game at Potchefstroom, just three days after reaching here, the worst fears came true: Ganguly blinked into a rasping bouncer. He looked dazed, completely shaken and not up to it. This is it, even his own admirers whispered. But Ganguly steadied himself and was more than ready for the next bouncer. He went on to make a most extraordinary 83; he may have missed out on the first century of the tour but his knock became the rallying point for India. Since then, of course, Ganguly has got hit in virtually every other match; he has taken blows on his body, on his shoulder and on his elbow too. He flinched almost every time but he didn’t look harried or uncomfortable like he used to earlier; if anything he looked much more determined and eager to keep going. Indeed, he batted much better after each hit.

That, according to people close to him, is his new philosophy: ‘‘It’s better to get hit than to get out.’’ It has worked perfectly for him. More importantly, for the statistically-minded, he is the highest run-getter for India in this series. This second coming, of course, wasn’t easy; it has come after months of immense pain, tribulations and a million doubts. In fact, every single former cricketer and expert was absolutely sure that he was finished as a player; he alone believed that he still had a few days left in him.

So while the Indian team floundered, and the world laughed, he worked hard on his fitness, corrected his thought process and waited for his turn. Three tests later, not only has he proved everybody wrong, he has also scored more runs than anybody else. Now, there is no doubt that he will be back in the One-day side too.

Dada has arrived. He was discarded by his own team, his own friends, and indeed, his country. People laughed at him, and joked about him. But he fought his lonely battle, and he won. That's why, he is my hero.

(Adapted from the Times of India)

Comeback Icon

Excerpts from another nice article in the Hindustan Times:

Do dead people ever come alive? Certainly not the ones who leave this world, but those whose obituaries are written when alive, do sometimes stage a comeback. Fortunately for Indian cricket, former captain Saurav Ganguly comes across as a classical case.

After a string of casual and poor performances the southpaw was dropped from the Indian Team amidst consternation and jubilation alike. Consternation for those who believed in the eternal worth of Dada and jubilation for those who thought that the Prince of Calcutta had lost his talisman to score runs.

What followed was a media binge to bury Ganguly for good. Obituaries were written with the choicest words. Experts, selectors et al, wanted his scalp. So, Wasim Akram advised Ganguly to retire- "This is a problem in our part of the world, sportsmen don't realise when is the right time to say goodbye to the game."

During his days in wilderness, Ganguly was being consistently advised by a cross-section of the Nation to retire from the game. It's distinctly surprising that people, who can't decide for themselves, make decisions about others. For a moment, people had Ganguly believe that he was no longer good enough.

Against all odds Dada persisted and made an acclaimed comeback into Team India. But people had an explanation for this as well- "He is back not because he is good, but because others are not performing well." Strange - the more people are proved wrong in their prejudices, the more prejudiced they become.

Now what? Ganguly performs well against all odds in South Africa. His stoic 83 in the warm-up match against a Rest of South Africa side was reflective of his determination to do well. This was a well played innings under tremendous pressure as wickets were falling en bloc around him.

In the ongoing first Test match against the Proteas, Ganguly was the top scorer for India with 51 not out in the first innings, holding the innings together. Ganguly fought in the middle for 180 minutes and returned unconquered. The high point of his innings was when he pulled Ntini for a six.It was a relief to see an Indian batsman offer resistance after what seemed to be an eternity. He followed the good work of first innings with a brisk 25 in the second innings.

Dada braved the tension in the middle with utmost composure, knowing well that each ball could be his very last.

For the moment, this Bengal Tiger has been rehabilitated from an endangered status. He is definitely not destined to extinction in the near future.

As adulation start to pour in from various quarters, the most successful captain of Team India has become the unambiguous 'Comeback Icon' in the country.

Day of Ironic Turnarounds for Indian Cricket

One was a discard coming back as the knight in shining armour, the other a hero who was sent packing and discarded forever. Saurav Ganguly and Jagmohan Dalmiya. Two of the most talked about people in Indian cricket in the last couple of years - once friends, till Dalmiya turned his back on his one-time-mentee, "leaked" the email that led to his expulsion from the team. Today, as Saurav Ganguly proved he was worth his weight in gold, Jalgmohan Dalmiya was expelled from the BCCI for life.

What a turnaround in the lives of two men, what an ironic coincidence!

It's Saurav Ganguly's Test already

From the Times of India, Dec 16: One is on a comeback trail; another has barely embarked on his Test career. One is currently restrained and highly determined; the other is vivacious, often given to overt theatrics on the field. Together, on a blessed Saturday, they gifted India one of the most beautiful days here on this tour to South Africa.


In the morning, Sourav Ganguly carried the lower order around his willow to lift India to a fighting first innings total of 249 on a dubious Wanderers pitch; in the afternoon, S Sreesanth bowled with amazing fire and zeal to stun South Africa to their lowest total since 1957: 84 all out. Ganguly scored a patient and unbeaten 51, the highest contribution from an Indian in the first Test; Sreesanth picked up 5/40, one of the best figures for a pacer raised in the dustbowls of the subcontinent. Together, they have set India on course for what looks like a potentially amazing victory.

The man of the Test so far, however, has been Ganguly. For the last few weeks, as India staggered from one defeat to another collapse, coach Greg Chappell has believed in just one line: we need one innings, one good knock to turn this around. He was right. It's just so ironical that it had to come from Ganguly's blade. The same player who had been left out as a finished product.

In a way, everything has changed since his arrival here last week. Within 72 hours, as India collapsed again, he dug deep into his experience and grit to score a defining half-century. His calming presence and fighting spirit helped Irfan Pathan and India score their first century on this tour; it also boosted them to victory. That confidence simply rubbed on to the team as virtually everybody batted with fire and determination. Apart from all the courage and attitude that Ganguly has exhibited so far, one has to appreciate his distinguished behaviour off the field too: he has been calm and dignity-personified, showing remarkable grace under, both, pressure and success. He could easily have bared his shirt again or sent damning signals towards the dressing room. He didn't.


He has been equally poised and assured in the middle too. He took blows on his body, didn't flinch under the bouncer-onslaught and played his shots with the old-world charm and panache. He leaned into his drives and cut with control and precision. Ganguly's 51 will be worth its weight in diamonds. When he came in to bat on Saturday morning, half the side was back in the dressing room. He was left with just the tail and India were certainly not out of danger. He didn't panic; instead he showed enough faith in his mates, allowing them to play their own game. Dhoni fell to a spectacular catch, a one-handed, diving effort by Pollock at mid-off, while Kumble, Zaheer and Sreesanth couldn't handle the wicket. India were down to nine wickets but Ganguly didn't lose heart. He encouraged VRV Singh to play his strokes.

It had all the signs of a leader, a changed man and player. Chappell will surely have no complaints. That crucial, turning-around innings has probably come.