Mumbai: During early 2000, the Indian cricket team – stained with match-fixing scandals – looked downhill when Sourav Ganguly took over the reins as captain. Soon, he changed the perception on India’s performance abroad. It all started on July 13, 2002 at the mecca of cricket – Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Thirteen years back, on this day Team India – with a bunch of youngsters led by Ganguly – stunned the cricketing world clinching the NatWest ODI series, beating England in their own backyard, by two wickets.
The spick and span contingent, after an infectious departure of former captain Mohammad Azharuddin and all-rounder Ajay Jadeja, brought in a new wave and did what few imagined them to do. They chased down 326 runs in 49.3 overs to pocket the series.
England won the toss and chose to bat. Opener Marcus Trescothick (109) and skipper Nasser Hussain (115) recorded twin centuries. With a smooth cameo from Andrew Flintoff (40), they scored 325 for the loss of five wickets.
It was given that India would start with a bang and lose steam in the middle overs. The story went according to the script the Indian fans had known for years.
Sourav Ganguly (60 off 43) and Virender Sehwag (45 off 49) shared a 100-run partnership before Alex Tudor sent the Indian captain back. Giles got the better of Sehwag and the Indian truth was justified. Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar did not click and off went the television sets in the sub-continent.
Yuvraj Singh – a 20-year-old back then – had established himself as a successful newcomer but kept the finisher tag hidden in the array of his shots. On the other hand, there was Mohammad Kaif – a 21-year-old right-hander from Uttar Pradesh.
However, an hour went and fans were surprised no wicket fell after the scoreboard read 146/5.
The new army added 121 runs for the sixth wicket without taking too many risks. They found their gaps, hammered the wobbly deliveries and forced the English bowlers to make mistakes. Quickly, the duo started sending shivers down their opponents’ spines. Hussain, along with the gentry in the stands, looked worried.
Yuvraj fell for 69 but strengthened the lower order mindset. Harbhajan Singh hung on with Kaif for a 47-run stand when Hussain brought in the wicket-taking Flintoff into the attack.
(Photo: Twitter/PTI)
Flintoff dislodged Harbhajan’s bails, stole an edge off Anil Kumble and set the stage for English champagne to flow. But Kaif, still at the crease, did not budge from his purpose.
Zaheer Khan walked into the middle when India needed 12 off 13 balls. Kaif finished the match smoothly, remained unbeaten on 87 off 75 balls.
The match was over but for Ganguly, it was the beginning. He tore apart the Victorian morality of the Marylebone Cricket Club and took off his shirt in jubilation. Basically, he imitated what Flintoff had done after squaring the ODI series against India at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai few months back.
The Men in Blue, who won the ICC World Cup in 2011, were an extension from the class of Natwest.
Brief scores: England 325/5 in 50 overs (M Trescothick 109, N Hussain 115; Z Khan 3/62) lost to India 326/8 in 49.3 overs (M Kaif 87*, Y Singh 69, S Ganguly 60; A Giles 2/47, A Flintoff 2/55) by two wickets
