Published 18:28 IST, July 5th 2020
'It was a great moment': Sourav Ganguly recalls 2002 Natwest series win at Lord's
Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly recalled Team India's historic Natwest tri-series 2002 triumph over England at the 'Mecca of Cricket' i.e. Lord's
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Sourav Ganguly has said that the Natwest tri-series 2002 triumph against England at the 'Mecca of Cricket' Lord's is one of the greatest matches that he has been a part of. The Men In Blue had got out of a corner when all hopes had vanished in thin air and when tail-ended Zaheer Khan had hit the winning runs in the final over, a delighted Sourav was on the seventh sky as he had started celebrating at the Lord's balcony by waving his T-shirt.
'It was a great moment': Sourav Ganguly
"The Natwest finals had its own charm, when you win in England on a Saturday in Lord's, its a remarkable feeling. It was a packed house and its a remarkable experience when you play in front of a packed stadium at Lords'," Ganguly told opening batsman Mayank Agarwal in a video posted on the official handle of BCCI.
"It was a great moment, we all got carried away, but that's what sport is, when you win, you celebrate, that is one of the great cricket matches I have been part of," he added.
When India snatched victory from jaws of defeat
Even though Kaif is known for his athletic fielding, he is remembered for his famous match-winning knock in the 2002 tri-series final against Nasser Hussain's England at the iconic Lords' Cricket Ground. Kaif had scored an unbeaten 87 in that contest and was adjudged Man of the Match for his stellar innings which helped India snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. He added 121 runs with Yuvraj Singh (69) for the sixth wicket when it seemed to be curtains down for the Sourav Ganguly-led side at 146/5. The duo then took matters into their own hands and smashed the English bowlers all around the park to help India register a famous win at the 'Mecca' of cricket.
What made this win even more special was that prior to this contest, the Men In Blue were not regarded as good chasers and at the same time, had also lost nearly 10 finals as well. However, what had really stood out in the contest is that Hussain had sledged Kaif when he had come out to bat by calling him a 'Bus Driver' when India were in no position to win that contest.
Nonetheless, the rest as they say his history as the UP cricketer made his bat do the talking.
(Image Courtesy: AP)
Updated 18:29 IST, July 5th 2020