'I felt this was my last Test' - Sourav Ganguly's honest admission before iconic hundred

Deep Dasgupta, the former India wicketkeeper-batter who represented the country in eight Test matches between 2001 and 2006, has disclosed rare insights into Sourav Ganguly during a turbulent phase in 2002 when his position as captain came under grave question due to poor form.

Ganguly had not scored a Test century since November 1999. Then came the Zimbabwe match in Delhi, where he broke through with an unbeaten 136, his maiden hundred in the captain's chair. This long drought had fuelled doubts about his place in the squad and sparked intense debate about whether he could bounce back when it mattered most. Dasgupta witnessed firsthand the mental toll this period took on the leader.

"Off the field, I have never seen him get angry or speak in a raised voice. I have also seen another side of him when things were not going well. That was an eye-opener for me because I never thought I would see that man in a situation where he was at times vulnerable, where he would question himself, asking, 'Am I still good enough?' I never thought I would see Sourav in that mind space, but even then, those moments where he showed vulnerability were very, very rare," Dasgupta said on The Great Indian Cricket Show on Doordarshan.

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The pressure mounted on the evening before the opening Test at Feroz Shah Kotla. Dasgupta recalled the moment when Ganguly's emotional guard finally cracked, and the weight of expectation became too much to bear.

"I still remember the Zimbabwe match in 2002, in Delhi. There was a lot of talk going around because he had not scored a century in about a year. In the evening, we were sitting and having tea, and he absolutely loves his tea and biscuits. While sipping his tea, he suddenly said, 'This is my last Test match. If I do not score runs in this one, I will get dropped.' I looked at him and said, 'Man, what are you talking about?'" Dasgupta added.

What unfolded the next morning proved exactly why the Indian captain's fighting spirit and mental resilience set him apart from his peers. Ganguly walked out to bat and delivered the innings the team needed, scoring 136 with the kind of determination that became his hallmark throughout his career. Zimbabwe's bowling attack at the time was no pushover, yet Ganguly's resolve carried the day.

"The next day he goes out to bat and gets a hundred. And the Zimbabwe team at that time was a very good side; it was not an easy task at all. But that fighting spirit, that stubbornness of his, was brilliant. No matter what happens, he will always find a way. That is exactly why you can never count him out," Dasgupta said.

The episode stands as a powerful reminder of Ganguly's capacity to convert self-doubt into steely determination at the moment when his team needed him most.