SOURAV GANGULY

Full Name :
Saurav Chandidas Ganguly
Birthday :
July 8, 1972
Birth Place :
Calcutta
Country :
India
Batting :
Left hand batsman
Bowling :
Right arm medium pace bowler
ODI Debut :
vs. West Indies, at Brisbane on 11/1/92
Test Dedut :
India v England at Lord's, 2nd Test, 1996


Saurav Ganguly, the Prince of Calcutta has a fan following of millions and that is justified considering the number of winning knocks he has played for India. His batting is the perfect blend of elegance and power. He has all the traditional style that goes with left handed batsmanship. He is also a superb/ perfect timer of the ball. 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. He is one of the most aggressive Captain India has ever had and has emerged as one of the key components of the Indian team. His ability to play shots on the off side is special because there are very few players who can hit the ball in that area as crisply as he does. He is an aggressive left-handed batsman and is also an effective (right-handed) medium pace bowler. He started his international career as a 19 year old during the tour to Australia in 1991-92 where both his ability and attitude was questioned. His recall for the 1996 tour to England was severely criticised as one of the evils of India's "quota" system. But he answered that in style by not only scoring centuries in his first two Test innings but also capturing vital wickets to bag the Man of the series award. Still he was considered fit only for the Test matches because of his inability to play onside strokes. He worked on that problem and became a household name in India after the Sahara Cup in Toronto where he won several matches for India against Pakistan. Besides several superlative batting performance (including 75* in 75 balls), he exploited the conditions to return some excellent bowling figures (including 5-16). He is often criticised for his running between the wickets and if he works on that, the way he has worked on his leg-side then he will definitely become a formidable force in the World of Cricket.