Ganguly: 'The toss was crucial'
Sourav Ganguly was lost for words in trying to describe the effect such dead wickets have on a team's performance, after the Kanpur Test had petered out into a dull draw
Nagraj Gollapudi in Kanpur
24-Nov-2004
Sourav Ganguly was lost for words in trying to describe the effect such dead wickets have on a team's performance, after the Kanpur Test had petered out into a dull draw. In the post-match press conference, both he and his South African counterpart, Graeme Smith, decided to move forward and expect a result at Eden Gardens.
Sourav Ganguly
On the state of India's pitch preparations
I don't know. It's the curator's job to prepare the pitch and we play our game. I don't want to make any statement on that. You see what happened at Nagpur. So we just have to forget what happened here and move on to the next game and try and win it.
I don't know. It's the curator's job to prepare the pitch and we play our game. I don't want to make any statement on that. You see what happened at Nagpur. So we just have to forget what happened here and move on to the next game and try and win it.
On the habit of picking three spinners and one fast bowler
This is only the second time we have done that. The first occasion was at Mumbai where it did prove to be the correct decision. Over the last four years at home we have played a two-and-two combination. When we looked at this surface, looking at the way it would have gone as the game progressed, we thought three spinners would come into play, but that didn't happen. And until the third day I was the only seamer to have picked up a wicket, so you cannot say an extra fast bowler would have done a better job.
This is only the second time we have done that. The first occasion was at Mumbai where it did prove to be the correct decision. Over the last four years at home we have played a two-and-two combination. When we looked at this surface, looking at the way it would have gone as the game progressed, we thought three spinners would come into play, but that didn't happen. And until the third day I was the only seamer to have picked up a wicket, so you cannot say an extra fast bowler would have done a better job.
On India's strategy for Kolkata, in light of South Africa's good performance
I don't think strategy has anything to do with it. First of all, I lost the toss which was very crucial on this pitch. If the batting had been reversed, then we would have put more pressure on them and the result would probably have been a different one. We lost crucial time because of the early-morning fog on the last two days and that definitely affected the outcome on such a flat wicket. The other factor was the South African batsmen, who batted slowly on the first two days of the Test.
I don't think strategy has anything to do with it. First of all, I lost the toss which was very crucial on this pitch. If the batting had been reversed, then we would have put more pressure on them and the result would probably have been a different one. We lost crucial time because of the early-morning fog on the last two days and that definitely affected the outcome on such a flat wicket. The other factor was the South African batsmen, who batted slowly on the first two days of the Test.
On the negative approach adopted by the South Africans
I wouldn't say that the South Africans went into the game with the mindset of playing out a draw. They put up a big score, and there is always pressure when you put a 500-plus total on the board, and obviously the wicket was flat on the first two days and everyone expected it to break up afterwards. So their gameplan was put up a big score and grab early wickets to put us under pressure. So I won't blame them.
I wouldn't say that the South Africans went into the game with the mindset of playing out a draw. They put up a big score, and there is always pressure when you put a 500-plus total on the board, and obviously the wicket was flat on the first two days and everyone expected it to break up afterwards. So their gameplan was put up a big score and grab early wickets to put us under pressure. So I won't blame them.
On how Virender Sehwag prospered while others didn't
You must realise that he was batting against the new ball and that is the best time to bat on this kind of a wicket. Even when Rahul [Dravid] and I were batting and the second new ball was taken, runs started coming very quickly. But you cannot take away anything from his innings, as he is always a positive player; that's the way he plays his innings in both forms of the game. He plays only one way: attackingly. And after he got his hundred, and South Africa had set a tight field which was difficult to pierce with the old ball, he decided to go over the top and that worked.
You must realise that he was batting against the new ball and that is the best time to bat on this kind of a wicket. Even when Rahul [Dravid] and I were batting and the second new ball was taken, runs started coming very quickly. But you cannot take away anything from his innings, as he is always a positive player; that's the way he plays his innings in both forms of the game. He plays only one way: attackingly. And after he got his hundred, and South Africa had set a tight field which was difficult to pierce with the old ball, he decided to go over the top and that worked.
On his chances of overturning his ICC ban and playing in the second Test
I will get to know in the next two days.
I will get to know in the next two days.
Graeme Smith
On South Africa's performance
Considering that this was the first tour of India for lot of our guys, it was a pretty solid performance. I was impressed with the way a lot of the guys have handled things - the pressure, India's discipline and the wickets. Not many people gave us a chance after the warm-up game in Jaipur, so I am happy with the way things have gone. Unfortunately there was no result in the Test, but we move on to Eden Gardens. It's going to be a very stressful game for all of us and I am looking forward to us getting a result there.
Considering that this was the first tour of India for lot of our guys, it was a pretty solid performance. I was impressed with the way a lot of the guys have handled things - the pressure, India's discipline and the wickets. Not many people gave us a chance after the warm-up game in Jaipur, so I am happy with the way things have gone. Unfortunately there was no result in the Test, but we move on to Eden Gardens. It's going to be a very stressful game for all of us and I am looking forward to us getting a result there.
On the disappointment of failing to force victory
You always go into the match thinking about winning it, but Virender [Sehwag] played really well and put us under a lot of pressure. He was one guy who took the game to us. Apart from him, our bowlers bowled well to other batters and hopefully we can take a lot of the gains we took from this Test into the next one.
You always go into the match thinking about winning it, but Virender [Sehwag] played really well and put us under a lot of pressure. He was one guy who took the game to us. Apart from him, our bowlers bowled well to other batters and hopefully we can take a lot of the gains we took from this Test into the next one.
On whether this draw has put psychological pressure on the Indians
I am not one for these big psychological edges. We got to make sure we keep our focus, and compete and improve on the areas that we missed out on.
I am not one for these big psychological edges. We got to make sure we keep our focus, and compete and improve on the areas that we missed out on.
On India's suggestions that South Africa had a negative approach to the game
That's obviously their belief, but at the end of the day we believe we played pretty good. And when we get to Eden Gardens, we will play the same tough cricket we displayed here and put them under pressure.
That's obviously their belief, but at the end of the day we believe we played pretty good. And when we get to Eden Gardens, we will play the same tough cricket we displayed here and put them under pressure.
His overall assessment of South Africa's performance
One thing that was very impressive was the way we reverse-swung the ball. It was something we really worked hard on, and something which we were not good at in the past. All our bowlers did well with that delivery. As for the disappointments, we missed a few run-outs, a few catches and maybe let them off the hook a bit; we missed Virender's stumping and a few chances against [Gautam] Gambhir went down. All that can make a difference in a game, especially in the subcontinent where the chances are crucial and you got to take them. So that's one area we've got to improve in the next game: we need to calm the nerves as there is a lot of energy playing a Test.
One thing that was very impressive was the way we reverse-swung the ball. It was something we really worked hard on, and something which we were not good at in the past. All our bowlers did well with that delivery. As for the disappointments, we missed a few run-outs, a few catches and maybe let them off the hook a bit; we missed Virender's stumping and a few chances against [Gautam] Gambhir went down. All that can make a difference in a game, especially in the subcontinent where the chances are crucial and you got to take them. So that's one area we've got to improve in the next game: we need to calm the nerves as there is a lot of energy playing a Test.