Former India captain Sourav Ganguly recalled his team’s historic triumph in the NatWest Series final in 2002 and the also remembered his celebration after they beat hosts England at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The BCCI president was the latest guest on Mayank Agarwal’s online show, Open Nets With Mayank, on which a fan asked Ganguly to rate the team’s journey in the 2003 World Cup in South Africa and the 2002 NatWest final win over England.
“How was it when the Indian Team reached the World Cup final under your leadership and how was it when the Indian team won the natwest trophy? Out of these two, which one you will rate as the highest,” a fan named Ashok Surya asked Dada.
Ganguly replied: “They both have their own special place. We got smashed by Australia (in the 2003 World Cup final). They were the best team of that generation. But getting to the World Cup, beating every team hands down, except Australia, was a great achievement.”
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India were completely outplayed by Australia in the 2003 World Cup final in Johannesburg but that wasn’t the case in the 2002 NatWest series final, where all seemed lost for the visitors for major part of the match but they fought back thanks to a superb partnership between young guns Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif to win the contest with just 3 balls and 2 wickets to spare.
Calling it “one of the great finals” he has played, Ganguly conceded that they all got a bit carried away with their celebrations after snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in that game.
The scenes of a pumped up and topless Ganguly waving his India shirt from the balcony at the iconic Lord’s stadium is etched in every cricket lover’s memory.
“The NatWest (win) has it’s own charm. When you win in England on a Saturday in Lord’s, it’s a remarkable feeling, it was a packed house. It’s a remarkable experience when you walk out at Lord’s in a full house.
“I saw the World Cup final there this year when I was commentating, it was a great moment. We all got carried away (after NatWest win) but that’s what sport is, when you win you celebrate and when you win a game like that, you celebrate even more.
“That was one of the great cricket matches I have been a part of,” Ganguly said in the promo video posted by the BCCI.
