Top 2 underrated performances from Sourav Ganguly

In the history of Indian cricket, Sourav Ganguly is remembered as the captain who reshaped the team to succeed in the 2000s. It led to his success as a good Indian captain and currently as the head of BCCI. But with time his legacy as a cricketer has got lost. During his prime years, he had the same impact as Sachin Tendulkar, especially in ODIs. He had emerged as one of the greatest left-handed batsmen of India during the 2000s.

Some of his underrated performances for India are as follow:

Sourav Ganguly's all-rounder display at the Sahara Cup in 1997

During the Sahara Cup final, Sourav Ganguly's impressive performance with the ball had helped India win the match against Pakistan. India was already 3-0 up and the fourth game was a curtailed affair due to rain. This match had altered the low-scoring pattern in the series.

Pakistan had put a 160 run target for India in 28 overs. Ganguly had picked up some important wickets with the ball including that of Ramiz Raja and Saleem Malik.

Due to slow over-rates, the Indian team had to chase over six runs an over which was a hard task in those days. Moreover, the weather was getting colder as the game progressed. The Indian team was 54-3 but Sourav Ganguly held one end to help India go 4-0 up. The highlight of the match was his graceful off-side play. He had formed a hundred-run partnership with Ajay Jadeja that helped India win the series.

During the series, he had made 222 runs at an average of 55.50 and had picked 15 wickets at 10.66 average. Sourav Ganguly was awarded the man of the match trophy four times consecutively.

The Sourav Ganguly classic in the three-match ODI against Pakistan in 1997

After the Sahara Cup, the Indian team had traveled to Pakistan for a three-match ODI series. Unfortunately, they lost the first game so winning in Karachi was important for India. The crowd at Pakistan troubled the Indian players and had hit them with stones. After Ganguly became the fifth player to be hit, the match referee decided not to risk the life of the Indian players any longer.

India had to chase 266 runs in 47 overs against a bowling attack consisting of Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shahid Afridi, and Azhar Mahmood. Sourav Ganguly remained at ease and had formed a 98 run partnership with Vinod Kambli. They provided the India team with a platform that the middle-order used to seal the game. To date, the game is best remembered for the six that Rajesh Chauhan had hit off Saqlain Mushtaq in the final over.

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