Sourav Ganguly - controversy`s favourite child

The year 2005 proved a decisive year in Ganguly’s career after then coach Greg Chappell sent an email to BCCI stating that Ganguly was unfit to lead the Indian team during India’s Zimbabwe tour in 2005.

Ganguly, in turn, said Chappell had actually asked him to step down.

The repercussions of the feud involving the coach and the captain jolted Indian cricket.

Ganguly was stripped of his captaincy and dropped from the team by the then selector Kiran More, resulting in a huge backlash from his fans.

Dada’s woes had begun ironically enough with his first Test century in over 21 months.

Pepped up by an agonisingly watchful 101 against minnows Zimbabwe at Bulawayo in September, he decided to take Chappell on.

With the Australian legend ready to stand his ground, it though proved an ill-advised decision, which only added to the pressure on the struggling southpaw and led to him being dropped first from the ODI squad and then from the squad for the third and final Test against Sri Lanka.

He might have been recalled to the 16-member squad for the tour of Pakistan later in the year, but since that day Ganguly’s career has been punctuated with battles with the establishment.

In Image: Sourav Ganguly and Greg Chappell (AFP)

Comment: It`s Chappell 1, Ganguly 1 | No Ganguly, no cricket