How Sourav Ganguly's Team India used to 'Give it Back' to opponents, former India player shares

Sourav Ganguly is regarded as the pioneer of the revolution in Indian cricket. Since taking over the captaincy in 2000, Ganguly transformed the Indian team and galvanised it into an aggressive unit, that fought toe to toe against superior opposition away from home.

Under Ganguly, Indian cricket came out of a tumultuous situation and took a new path of talent acquisition across the country, which in turn drove the team to multiple World title wins later in the 2007-2013 period.

And former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta shared fascinating insights into how Sourav Ganguly transformed the attitude of the Indian cricket team in the early 2000s. Reflecting on the cultural shift under Ganguly's captaincy, Dasgupta highlighted how the side evolved from internalizing opposition sledging to aggressively giving it back on the field.

With India's current squad known for its fearless approach on overseas tours, Dasgupta traced the origin of this combative mindset back to Ganguly's era, noting the visible change in the team's personality between 2001 and the historic 2003-04 tour of Australia.

"Under Ganguly, if someone sledged, we started to give it back. Rather than saying, 'I'll channel it', while we used to channel it, we would give it back as well. His nickname is Maharaj. So, he's always had that idea that 'I am the king.' And it started reflecting on the team as well," Dasgupta said on Doordarshan.

"Earlier, we used to internalize and channel it into our performances. Now, while we were still doing that, we were expressing it as well. I think between my first tour and my last tour in Australia in 2003, you could see that change. Earlier, it was controlled and internal. But by the time we came to 2003, if someone said something, we'd give it back," he added.

Under Ganguly, India won their first ODI and Test series in Pakistan, and drew a Test series against Australia down under in 2003-04. The Indian team also reached the final of the ODI World Cup in 2003 and won the famous Natwest Series in 2002 on English soil.