While the NatWest Trophy final of 2002 remains one of Indian cricket’s most replayed moments, Ganguly was unequivocal in placing it below several Test victories achieved during his tenure.
“I would rate my NatWest win on a much lower pedestal than Calcutta, Chennai (2001), Pakistan (2004), Headingley (2002), then Adelaide (2003),” Ganguly said. “Those were much better wins.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the book launch, Ganguly revisited a phase where India began competing, and winning, consistently overseas. He pointed to the 2003 Adelaide Test as a turning point in belief.
“In Australia, they had got 400 on day one, and we still went on to win the Test on the fifth day,” he recalled.
He also underlined the tactical conviction behind India’s innings victory at Headingley in 2002. “I played two spinners. Ian Botham was at the toss and asked me, ‘Are you serious?’ I said, ‘Yes, I want my spinners to bowl last.’”
If Australia marked resilience, Pakistan, Ganguly suggested, tested character. “Pakistan was the hardest place to tour. India had never won there before. To win Tests and one-dayers there was a fantastic achievement.”
That tour, and the period around it, was defined by heavy scoring and a certain fearlessness, best captured in Virender Sehwag’s triple hundred in Multan.
“He told me he would hit a six on 94, 194 and 294,” Ganguly said, smiling. “I told him, when you get close to 300, take a single. Triple hundreds don’t come often. He said no. And he still hit a six to get there.”
For Ganguly, these moments, across Kolkata, Chennai, Headingley, Adelaide and Pakistan, reflected a team that could “go around and do well everywhere in the world.”
Set against that context, even a famous one-day triumph receded slightly.
“We had won nine games in a row to reach the NatWest final,” he said. “But Test cricket will always be special.”
Published on Mar 30, 2026
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