Under Sourav Ganguly's firm leadership, Indian cricket reached new heights over a period of five years (2000-2005).
From qualifying to the finals of 2003 World Cup, sharing the 2002 Champions Trophy with Sri Lanka, winning the 2004 Test series in Pakistan and drawing Test series in England and Australia – Team India achieved it all and a lot more with Ganguly at the helm of affairs.
Recently, former England skipper Nasser Hussain weighed in over Ganguly’s greatness as captain, crediting the latter for making India a tougher side.
"I have always said, and this is a generalisation, but I have always said about Ganguly, that he made India a tougher side. So, before Ganguly, there were very talented sides, but you felt they were also a nice side, very down to earth, would meet you with morning greetings, morning Nasser, it was a very pleasant experience,” Hussain said while speaking on Star Sports' show Cricket Connected.
"Playing against a Ganguly side, you knew you were in a battle, you knew that Ganguly understood the passion of Indian cricket fans and it wasn't just a game of cricket. It was more important than a game of cricket. He was feisty and he picked feisty cricketers whether it would be Harbhajan or Yuvraj or whoever - feisty in your face cricketers - that when you met him away from the game, were lovely, nice. Sourav's like that,” he explained.
Speaking further about Ganguly, Nasser said he hated his Indian counterpart back then for making him wait at the toss. But with time he has realised that the current BCCI president is a lovely person.
"When I played against Sourav, I hated him, he used to make me wait for the toss every single time and I'll be like, Ganguly, it's 10.30, we have to toss. But now I work with him for the last decade on commentary, he's such a nice, calm, he's still late for his commentary stints, but he is a lovely bloke. And that's the way cricketers should be. When you play with him or against him, you don't like him and when you meet up with him later in life, they're nice people," Hussain remarked.
