3 moments that proved Sourav Ganguly's bold attitude

The history of Indian cricket can almost be divided into two phases: before Sourav Ganguly and after Sourav Ganguly.

India had already won the 1983 World Cup and produced legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, and Sunil Gavaskar. But it was Ganguly who changed the team's mindset. He took charge at a time when Indian cricket was recovering from the match-fixing scandal and built a fearless side that believed it could compete against the best, home or away.

Dada backed youngsters, stood up to opponents, and never shied away from making bold decisions. Whether it was on the field or off it, his aggressive approach became his identity and inspired a generation of Indian cricketers.

One of the toughest phases of Ganguly's career came after his fallout with then-head coach Greg Chappell. The disagreement eventually cost him the captaincy, and he was later dropped from the Indian team as well.

Many believed his international career was over, but Ganguly had other plans. He earned a recall for India's tour of South Africa in 2006 and made an immediate impact. In the tour game against the Rest of South Africa, he scored a fluent 83 to help India register a convincing victory.

The biggest statement, however, came in the first Test at Johannesburg. Facing a quality pace attack comprising Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, and Dale Steyn, Ganguly remained unbeaten on 51 in the first innings. It was the highest score by an Indian batter in the innings and played a crucial role in helping India register their first-ever Test win on the South African soil.