Sourav Ganguly Birthday 2023: As the legendary cricketer turns 51, mid-day.com recalls his iconic Test debut at Lord’s that laid a strong foundation for his glorious cricketing career
Sourav Ganguly during his debut century against England at Lord’s Cricket Ground, London (Pic: Getty Images)
Sourav Ganguly Birthday 2023: There are few cricketers who manage to make heads turn and compel people to notice their exceptional skills and love for the game on their debut. Establishing credibility in Test cricket – a traditional and challenging format – is even more difficult as one needs to persist longer to be able to score well.
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However, once in a few years, one might witness a cricketer who not only shines on their first appearance in a new cricket format but also establishes a strong and consistent record in it.
India is home to one such cricketing legend – Sourav Ganguly, who celebrates his 51st birthday today.
This name is known to almost every cricket fan in India. Fondly called ‘Dada’, Ganguly has had a glorious Test career, the foundation of which was laid in an equally glorious manner when he made his first Test appearance on June 20, 1996.
The ace cricketer made his Test debut in the second match against England at Lord’s. He was one ODI old when he threw his hat in the Test cricket ring. After a forgettable outing in 1992 ODI against West Indies, he ensured that his debut performance in Test would remain unforgettable for decades to come.
England, who went to bat first, were able to amass 344 runs before they were bowled out with Venkatesh Prasad taking five wickets.
Chasing this target wasn’t going to be easy for the visitors.
Walking in at the crucial No. 3 position for India, Ganguly showed the world what he is capable of as he smashed an impressive century. He scored 131 runs off 301 deliveries at a strike rate of 43.52.
Displaying the calmness and confidence of an experienced player, he gave India a new lease of hope as he built the innings run-by-run. When Ganguly reached the 50-run mark, everyone would have known that they were witnessing something special, something that would go down in history.
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Dada’s performance was studded with 20 fours and he became the highest-scoring Test debutant at Lord’s -- a record that was broken by Devon Conway 25 years later.
Ganguly was accompanied by fellow debutant Rahul Dravid who also made an unforgettable mark with 95 runs off 267 deliveries.
India went on to score 429 runs in the innings but the series eventually ended in a draw.
On that day, the iconic Lord’s echoed with the hints of Sourav Ganguly’s future legacy as he announced his arrival in style. This man from Kolkata had sown the seeds of the successful cricket career that was to follow.
Over the years, Dada would establish himself as one of the finest Test batters. Till his retirement in 2008, he went on to play 113 Test matches, scoring 7212 runs. He is currently the seventh highest Test run-scorer among Indian players.
Ganguly shined not only with his batting prowess but also his leadership skills. His captaincy proved to be a game-changer for Indian cricket.
When he arrived at Lord’s, picked up his bat, scored runs, smashed a century, helped India to a victory and created a record, he proved that he was here to stay. And he stayed!
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