Bangalore: The dramatic announcement was kept for the last. Sourav Ganguly had finished the question and answer part of his session with the media late on Tuesday afternoon, when he stunned everybody by saying: “Just one last thing lads, before I leave, I just want to say that this is going to be my last series. I have decided to quit and I’ve told my teammates before I have come here. These four Test matches are going to be my last. Thanks for all your support, hopefully we’ll go on a winning note. Thanks.”
Earlier, Sourav took a lot of questions from the media.
The following are excerpts:
Q If he is prepared for the series
A I am prepared. I played some games before coming to Bangalore. Hopefully with the break after Sri Lanka, some matches under the belt and some good nets, I’m prepared for the series.
Whether his inclusion in the squad was a surprise
It was. To be honest I didn’t expect to be picked for this series. Once I was (picked) I started preparing. Even when I was left out of the Rest of India squad, which was a bit surprising, I was training with the Bengal boys. That’s the way it is.
On the retirement of the seniorsThis has been going on for some time really — for the last one, one and a half years. And it will go on. I don’t think it’s ever possible that anybody can offer you a VRS scheme, that was the term used. I don’t think that’s ever possible in sport. You can’t do that to players like Kumble, Dravid, Laxman, Sachin, myself or anyone. We have been performing for years. I understand we all had a poor series in Sri Lanka. But they have been performing for the last two-three years, for their entire lives.
On the speculation that the Board has directed the seniors to retire
I don’t know really. When you play for so long you tend to put speculation behind you because there have been a lot of things written in the past and a lot of things will be written on the future. It’s important what you get to know from the board.
As far as I am concerned and as far as any of the other seniors are concerned we haven’t received any intimation from the board on anything. Obviously some people have been picked and some people have been dropped. That’s the way selection goes. That’s all I can say and when you play this sport you have to learn to keep these things behind you and go ahead.
On the pressure on the seniors cricketers
In every series there is pressure. It is not about seniors or youngsters. When there was a series five years back also, there was pressure. You knew that if you didn’t perform then there was someone to come in. When we started there were greats who had played for India for so long, like Azharuddin, Vengsarkar, Manjrekar… We performed and we came in. That process will go on. It’s all about performances. Every series, every year you have someone waiting. Five years ago it was probably Dinesh Mongia, Hemang Badani, now it is Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma. Five years down the line it will be someone else. That’s the way sport goes, you just have to live with it.
If the touring Australian side is weak
You should never judge any touring team on the basis of a practice game. Test matches are different, practice games are different. As a team you try a whole lot of things in a practice match before you get to Test cricket and this Australian team will be as formidable as those of the past. You can say they lack a quality spinner but they have other people who can make up for it.
On what will be India’s strategy in batting
We’ll just play every bowler. You have to survive till the spinner comes! You just have to play every bowler and then play the spinner when he comes.
On India’s strength
There are some players who peak against good teams. Somebody like VVS, or Sachin, who have good records against Australia. Plus we have always produced quality spinners and good spinners will do well against any team.
If Hayden is India’s greatest threat
I’m sure with 30 Test hundreds he gets fired up against anyone. Obviously he has a superb record against India. You have Ponting, who is one of the best, you have Clarke who plays spin very well, you’ve seen what Hussey can do. They’re not the best side in the world for nothing.
Bangalore being his lucky ground
Hopefully it turns out lucky again. You feel good walking out to a ground where you have played well. Hopefully I can do well again.
If India will start as favourites
As I said they are a very good side. I don’t think anyone can start as favourites. It’s what you do on the park and that can change every day. They will be a tough side and a hard side to beat.
Whether there is too much pressure on the Indian cricketers
As I said you will have pressure right throughout. Look at the pressure on these Australian players. They have somebody waiting who is as good. There is pressure on everyone. There will be different players putting pressure on you at different stages. We have done that when we were young players trying to get into the team. You have to just live with that and perform.
On what will be Australia’s plan
They played differently last time. They also had the players to execute. They had Glenn McGrath, they had Shane Warne, they had Gillespie who was as good as anyone. They had the bowlers to execute it. It’s going to be the same this time. Both teams will have plans, but how they execute it is important.
On India’s plan
Whichever team puts runs on the board will put pressure on the opposition. That’s the way Test cricket is played. If we can put runs on the board we’ll put pressure .
Players who might replace the seniors
It’s difficult for me to say. I’m a firm believer that it’s not just a question of one game, it’s what you do over a period of time. Look at someone like Michael Hussey, he had to get 10-15 thousand first-class runs to get a place in the Australian team. Some of these boys have just started. Yuvraj has been around for a long time, Badrinath too.
If India can repeat the performance of the 2001 series against Australia
2001 was a different part of our cricketing lives. I was captain then, now it’s Anil. Some new boys have come in, some are same. It’s two different times.
On the Bangalore wicket
This will turn as the Test match goes on. Bangalore wicket has been a bit different over the last few years. It might get a bit up and down in the last couple of days. It’s an older wicket now with more cricket played on it. So I’m sure it must have settled down. But I’m sure there will be spin for the bowlers.
The difference between the bowling attacks of the two teams
It’s two different types of attacks. Every team plays to their strengths. They’re a little bit behind in spin. Their attack will be based around pace. Our strength has been Anil and Harbhajan, though Zaheer and Ishant have also done very well. Two different teams play according to their strengths
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