India's first Test series in Pakistan in 15 years ended just the way it began: with a thumping innings win for the visitors.
After this series, history is probably going to become a subject of great interest for skipper Sourav Ganguly. "This is the best moment of my life," he told rediff.com after winning the Rawalpindi Test and wrapping up the three Test series 2-1. "I will treasure this forever."
A maiden Test series win on Pakistani soil after almost 50 years of trying will be one of Ganguly's greatest legacies to Indian cricket. "I am not sure what legacy I will leave behind," the skipper said, "but if we can improve as a team and move ahead from here on, it will be the greatest thing for me."
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Ganguly said that as captain of a fantastic team, it became his responsibility to take it ahead and enhance the way it plays.
With his 15th Test win under his belt, Ganguly looks back with some satisfaction on the time he became skipper and began moulding the team. "It was a very turbulent time," he said, "but I knew that if I was given time and if we could pick youngsters and back them, we would have a team of champions."
Ganguly said he was very keen to return to Pakistan after the injury he sustained in the final Limited Overs International in Lahore. "We were on the verge of winning a Test series," he said. "We were returning after 14 years and if I could not have been a part of this side I would have been disappointed."
The skipper believes his side is probably the best in the world now. "We have very good bench strength," he pointed out. "It helps a team perform better. You need that in a side. There will always be injuries and you will always have some players not doing well. It will be good to keep moving things around."
Earlier, at the post-match press conference, he said the reason why India wasn't winning series in the past despite taking the lead was because the bowlers were unable to dismiss sides early in the first innings. That has changed over the last few months.
The gracious Ganguly also defended the Pakistani team and urged the selectors to refrain from making wholesale changes. "One series should not matter," he said. "In our subcontinent we make a lot of changes if the team loses. I think we should just give some time to the Pakistani youngsters. They will do well."
For now they will do well to get over this crushing defeat by an innings and 131 runs.
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