Sourav Ganguly's Excellent Captaincy

From the moment Sourav Ganguly won the toss in Brisbane and courageously elected to bowl first, I believe he has performed outstandingly as India's captain during the recent Australia-India series.

At first I thought that sending Australia in to bat was a defensive tactic, but after hearing Ganguly explain that he wanted to try and exploit any earlier movement from the pitch, I believe this was a very positive strategy.

Ganguly's innings in Brisbane was a brilliant effort from a captain leading right from the front. My understanding also that Ganguly spent a period of time in July in Australia working with Greg Chappell on how to counter the short ball further outlines his commitment to this tour.

Moving onwards to Adelaide the team spirit was very obvious even when Australia raced to a first innings. Players chasing balls aggressively to the boundary, Kumble bowling with great purpose even at 1-150. The captain has to take a great deal of credit for all of this.

Then in the final test in Sydney, with critics demanding a declaration of the 2nd evening, Ganguly batted onwards into the 3rd day.

I felt this was exactly what he should have done. People applying Australian standards to Ganguly's captaincy need to understand the history of India away from home and also the small fact they only really have 1 bowler of real Test class.

The Border-Gavaskar trophy is what it is all about and Ganguly understands this deeply. The decision to not enforce the follow-on was also superb.

Australia were batted out of any chance to regain the trophy, India have the trophy, and despite the denial from the Australian cricketing public, they have the upper hand in the head to head battles in test cricket.

Ganguly deserves high praise and any media commentators who have been critical of him need to swallow their own material. But I can forgive them, as India have taken as by surprise, but it is time now that we woke up.