We are better prepared now: Ganguly

MUMBAI: He is truly back in vogue. Despite a delayed arrival in Mumbai on Sunday evening, Sourav Ganguly followed it up by attending the BCCI’s awards function and then agreed for six TV interviews in a span of just one hour. Suddenly, it seemed like yesterday once more for the former India captain, India’s man of the moment after emerging Man of the Series in the Tests against Pakistan.

Ganguly had an even more packed schedule before he left for Australia with the Indian team on Monday morning. He signed up with an upcoming news network, squeezed in a 7:30 am promotional shoot and finally managed to find time for an interview with TOI. He claims he is not missing anything. Not even captaincy? “No, no, I have had my time. No more. Anil is doing a terrific job,” he said.

Excerpts…

In 1991-92 you went on your first tour to Australia. What do you remember of your first-ever international tour?

Sixteen years (smiles) yeah…I was young then. I was picked in a team with huge names, Kapil Dev, Vengsarkar, Manjrekar, Tendulkar, Shastri, Prabhakar. So you know it was something different for me. Just a 17-18-year-old among greats, so I was a bit awestruck.

Then in 1999-2000 you went as vice-captain, in 2003-04 as captain and now you are going back as a senior player. You have been to Australia in different roles. How does it feel going back?

I think this is probably the best team which has gone to Australia since I started playing. Last time we did pretty well, but we did not have much of a bowling attack. Zaheer, Harbhajan were not fit. We just had Anil Kumble, who did a fabulous job right throughout the series. This time we are going better prepared. If Sree Santh would have been fit then I think it would have been complete. But I think now we have a very good chance to do well.

Can this Indian team do one better than your side of 2003-04, when the series was drawn 1-1?

I really hope so. Australia are without Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, two of their greatest bowlers. But they will be a tough team, they have Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson. I am sure Brad Hogg (left-arm spinner) is going to play because all good Test teams have good spinners. It is going to be tough but if we can put runs on the board I think we can really push them.

What is different about this team, does it have an X-factor which earlier sides didn’t have?

It is just the quality of players and the confidence of having won overseas earlier. In the last six-seven years we have done wonderfully well. Winning in West Indies, England, Pakistan, levelling in Australia. We have done well everywhere. Getting to the World Cup final in South Africa (2003), winning the Twenty20 World Cup.

These are tough places for a subcontinent team. And India have done better than any subcontinental team in these countries. So, from that point of view, I think it is the knowledge of doing well overseas which will help in Australia.

What’s the reason for India’s overseas successes since 2000-01, especially after you took over as captain? What’s been the big change?

First of all it is the quality of players that’s the most important thing, because you have to perform. Then it is the confidence and desire to win. We wanted to change that statement of India being good only at home. John Wright (New Zealander, former India coach) also played a very important role in that, trying to make the boys believe that we can win overseas.

Was this feeling missing in earlier teams or on your debut tour in 1991-92?

I won’t say it was missing, but we didn’t win much then. I am sure every team that leaves Indian shores wants to win. But somehow it did not happen.

You are playing your 100th Test match in Australia (Melbourne, December 26-30). A big moment for you…

It is definitely a big moment in my career. When you play cricket you don’t think you will reach 100 Test matches, but I am happy to be there.

What’s been the highlight of your career through these 99 Tests?

My first Test. It will always be special. Then becoming captain, winning that Test match at Kolkata against Australia in 2001… these moments will always be special.

But a year back all this did not seem possible. You have proved a lot of people wrong. What drove you then?

Just the need to play for India, nothing else. The feeling was I want to succeed at that level. Just the thought of doing well, when you walk out to bat in a Test match or a One-day game and you get runs… that evening you feel good about yourself. The feeling was I belong here.