Video : Should Dhoni & Fletcher be Sacked ? - Dada's Views

After India's Debacle in England, Dhoni & Fletcher have come under fire yet again. Should they be sacked ? Here are DADA's Views.

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Sourav Ganguly says don't fire ms dhoni & Fletcher because the World Cup is round the corner. Provide team with top quality technical expertise by bringing in players who have played the game at the highest level and know what it takes to succeed in tough conditions. Suggests roping in Dravid or Laxman or even himself.

Video Courtesy : Headlines Today

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Dada's Take : India's Tour of NZ - 2014

Sourav Ganguly's Take on India's Tour of NZ - 2014 :

1st ODI - Jan 19, 2014  Napier :

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2nd ODI - Jan 22, 2014  Hamilton :

     


     

3rd ODI - Jan 25, 2014  Auckland :

      


         

4th ODI - Jan 28, 2014  Hamilton :

      



     



     

5th ODI - Jan 31, 2014  Auckland :

     


     

     

1st TEST - Feb 5, Auckland :

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2nd TEST, Feb 14 - Wellington :

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Video : First Greg Chappell, Now S Sreesanth - both a pain for Rahul Dravid Says Sourav Ganguly

Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday said he felt bad for Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid who had to "contend with people like Greg Chappell and S. Sreesanth" during his captaincy stints for the country and the IPL franchisee respectively.

A day after Sreesanth and two other Royals players - Ankit Chauhan and Ajit Chandila - were arrested for spot fixing, Ganguly told a television channel: "I really feel bad for Rahul. It's his sheer bad luck. First he had Greg Chappell (as India coach) when he led India. Now he has to contend with Sreesanth. These two people have created confusion."

Chappell, Ganguly's bete noire, was the coach of the India team when Dravid succeeded Ganguly. Chappell continued as coach for the most part of Dravid's captaincy.

Ganguly, however, showered praise on the way Dravid has led the Royals in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league. (Talk of players being naive is rubbish, says Adam Gilchrist)

"Rajasthan Royals is not a great team. But Rahul has really done wonders as a captain in this IPL. I have not seen him do so well as captain in Tests and one-dayers," said Ganguly about his former Indian teammate.

©PTI

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VIDEO : Sourav Ganguly Lashes out at Players caught in Spot Fixing - May 16, 2013

Kerala pacer S. Sreesanth and two other players of the Rajasthan Royals Indian Premier League team have been arrested by the Delhi Police and charged with spot-fixing in the on-going tournament. 

Sreesanth and the others, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, were arrested in a secret swoop at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai, where they were staying, and will be brought to Delhi to be produced in court.  

VIDEO : Watch Here
 
Reacting to this Sourav Ganguly on Headlines Today said :

"I am very upset.It is non-sense.Its about the culture and mentality you were brought in. I am sorry for being a bit harsh on live television.With the money you get in from fixing you wish to live luxuriously, play well this ipl score more you will automatically get that life next season.It is only about the mentality. I am very very sad for Dravid. He has led his team very well.They are in last fours now.By doing this they're hurting other peoples life & Sentiments.It about how well you want your life to be. A rule/Law cannot stop all these. Its about individuals standing up to decide how their life should be."

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Sourav Ganguly Talks on Rahul Dravid's Dream Run in IPL 6

Rajasthan Royals can do nothing wrong on home turf. Such is the team’s self-belief, and of course, the tentative approach of the opponent, Delhi Daredevils on this occasion, played a big part in the lop-sided nature of the Indian Premier League contest at the SMS Stadium here on Tuesday.

With Dravid at the helm, Rajasthan Royals has made significant progress as a team and his guiding influence has also helped his partners improve at the other end.

Talking of Rahul Dravid's dream run in IPL 6, Sourav Ganguly said " Teams have  performed extremely well at home turfs this season, i guess they have worked out a plan to make their respective home grounds to their teams advantage. I am very much surprised to see Rahul play so well. He hardly plays any cricket inbetween, only plays 2 months of IPL yet delievers. Hats off to Dravid. It also shows how a franchise should keep calm and believe in their captain. Look at the belief they had on Dravid and how well he has delievered.I am very Happy for Rahul. "

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Sourav Ganguly's Take on India's Squad for Champions Trophy 2013

Opener Gautam Gambhir and all-rounder Yuvraj Singh have been dropped from Indian cricket squad for the Champions Trophy to be held next month.

Shikhar Dhawan makes it to the team and is likely to be the first choice for the slot of the opener.

The selectors have also recalled Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav and Vinay Kumar in the 15-member squad.

Team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Irfan Patan, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, Vinay Kumar. 

Sourav Ganguly Reacting to India's Squad for the Champions Trophy Said 
"A bit surprised at Gambhir & Yuvraj's Exclusion but Clear Indiction that the selectors are looking Ahead. Also IPL Performances has mattered a lot in the team selection. Murali Vijay has got another chance purely based on his performance vs Australia. Its a Very Good side.Good to See Amit Mishra & Dinesh karthik in the Midst "

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Sachin Tendulkar should play as long as he wants to: Ganguly

KOLKATA: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said Sachin Tendulkar should play as long as he wants.

There is a buzz that Tendulkar, who will turn 40 next month, may have played his last on Indian soil when he batted at Kotla as there's not a Test scheduled in the country for the next one year.

"Only time will say (about Tendulkar's retirement). He can play as long as he wants, be it South Africa, New Zealand or wherever," Ganguly said on Sunday.

Asked about Tendulkar's lean patch, Ganguly pointed out: "A win is always a team effort. We should not forget his contribution in the first Test in Chennai -- his gritty 81 really come to the team's rescue with India two down".

Ganguly further said Cheteshwar Pujara should have been awarded the man of the match which went to Ravindra Jadeja for his 5/58.

"He has made 134 runs -- 52 and 82 not out -- on a difficult spinning track. For me, the man of the match is Pujara," Ganguly told a regional TV channel.

India won the fourth and last Test by six wickets to clinch the four-match series with a historic 4-0 victory and win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Of course, the whitewash is a big thing. The way India have performed is really commendable. I'm not surprised the way Aussies went down. They have been doing badly for last few years," Ganguly said.

The former cricketer said Indian youngsters should be given at least two years time as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a crucial period ahead.

"This team is in a process of rebuilding. We have to give time to judge them. I'm sure Dhoni will be around till World Cup 2015. The next 17-18 months is very important as he has to build this side."

Ganguly also believed that it's not yet over for senior opener Virender Sehwag who was dropped after the second Test.

"We all know his abilities. He is one of the greats. I think he will get opportunity for the South African tour. The selectors are trying out (Ajinkya) Rahane for a middle order slot. May be he will give the experienced opening batsman option in South Africa," he said.

On the Aussies batting, Ganguly said: "Peter Siddle (with two half-centuries in the Kotla Test) showed that batting is not impossible even if it's difficult.

"They were not playing according to merit of the ball. If you don't back your cricket ability it's very difficult."

© PTI

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Not just at home, Sourav Ganguly wants India to do well overseas

Having re-established their hegemony in the familiar environs of home with three successive Test wins against Australia, India should strive to once again become a force to reckon with in the alien conditions abroad, feels former captain Sourav Ganguly.

Observing that teams like England and South Africa perform well both at home and abroad, Ganguly hoped India would also become strong enough in all conditions.

"England does well home and away. England won here when they came to India. South Africa does well. Sri Lanka does well. So, we will have to wait and see. It is too early to say. We want India to do well (at) home and away. That's very important for us.

"That's what we have done in the last 10 and 11 years. Hopefully, we will become a team which is once again doing well home and overseas. As I said, it is a young team which needed a little bit of time. But that's what we want our team to be," Ganguly said.

Ganguly said a 4-0 whitewash of Australia in the ongoing Test series will be a "good thing" for the Indian cricket team after suffering a similar fate Down Under last year.

"See... don't expect in cricket. Hopefully, they do it. It will be a good thing for them. Because when they went to Australia last year, it was 0-4 and winning 4-0 here would be a satisfying thing for the team," Ganguly said.

"Having said that, they will have to play well. It is not an easy wicket at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Hopefully, India will play well as they have done in the last three Test matches," he told reporters at a commercial event.

India lead the series 3-0 after convincing wins in Chennai, Hyderabad and Mohali.Asked whether India would be able to continue their successful run, he said the present side comprised young players who need time to settle down.
"Hopefully... We want Indian cricket to reach that stage. They played well in the series. They also had a tough time in the last 20¿22 months. We also have to understand that it is a young team, lot of young players are coming in, it is a change which is happening.

"Our own great V V S Laxman has retired, Rahul Dravid is gone. People like us, Kumble have finished. It is a new team, new players. You will have to allow them to settle down and hopefully, we will get back to Indian cricket as it was a couple of years ago," he said.

Asked how he would rate the teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which starts next month, he said T20 cricket is quite unpredictable as different teams have sprang up surprises in the past.

"It is always fun. Playing the IPL and watching it. It is difficult to say who will win in T20. Every year has thrown up a new champion. It's Knight Riders last year. You got a new side here (Hyderabad), the Sunrisers, I wish them luck.
They have a good side. Unfortunately, their star Shikhar Dhawan is injured. Hopefully, he recovers. You never know in IPL, who will spring a surprise. Hopefully, we have a good tournament as it has been for the past five years," he said.

© PTI

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Sourav Ganguly Talks on Duncan Fletcher’s Contract Extension till April 2014

“ I am not at all surprised. If he goes on for one more year(i.e) till march 2014, i dont see him being changed after that because that would be unfair on a new person coming in to take India to the World Cup which is due in 8 months time.You expect Duncan Fletcher to go to Australia in 2015 for the World Cup. He has got 2 good years to put indian cricket back on track. The BCCI has backed him this time which is very good as far as backing is concrned but only performance will say how good the backing was .”

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Sourav Ganguly’s Word of Advice for Virender Sehwag

As expected, out of form opener Virender Sehwag failed to retain his place in the Indian Test team for the remaining two Tests against Australia. 

The squad was trimmed to 14 with the selectors deciding against picking a replacement for Sehwag, who has scored just 27 runs in his three innings during the ongoing series.

Reacting to this Dada Said, “ Selectors have taken a call to not give as long a rope to ageing players, decision is harsh on Sehwag. It is going to be a long and difficult road back for Virender Sehwag.It is a clear indicator from selectors that they are looking for youngsters, but I fear if it is the right move with overseas tours lined up. Selectors want to look ahead but Sehwag can bounce back. Sehwag is a game changer, but he will have to wait for his turn to stage a comeback into the squad.Pressure will now be on Bhajji as well, he must aim for a 5 wicket haul in the last two Tests if he has to retain his place. “

Dada’s Final word of advice for Viru – “ Don't give up, go and play county cricket and you will come back stronger.”

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Sourav Ganguly Talks on MS Dhoni Surpassing His Record & Whats the Way Forward

KOLKATA: Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday lauded Mahendra Singh Dhoni for becoming the most successful Indian Test captain, surpassing his record, and hoped that the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman would be able to carry his showing in the coming foreign engagements.



"Dhoni's record is praiseworthy. Twenty-two Test wins is not a small achievement. And the success against Australia has come against the backdrop of the not-so-good times he went through in the last two years," said Ganguly.

However, he linked the stints of former captains as also that of Dhoni to a relay race where each skipper carried the baton forward.
"At various times in cricket you will see different captains. In recent years, India has seen captains like (Mohammed) Azharuddin, Sachin (Tendulkar), Sourav (Ganguly), (Rahul) Dravid, Dhoni. In the cricket relay race, each has carried the baton forward.

"But I must say that Dhoni's achievement is a good piece of news for Indian cricket. I hope this will take Indian cricket forward," said Ganguly, whose record of 21 Test wins stood for eight years before Dhoni overtook him after inflicting another humiliating loss on Australia at Hyderabad on Tuesday.
However, he agreed that number of wins or success on home soil could not be the only criteria for judging the greatness of a captain.

"I don't think this is right. During the last 25 years, India has seldom been in trouble on home soil. To judge a captain one should take into account his record on foreign grounds."

Ganguly hoped that Dhoni would be able to continue his recent success on home grounds in the coming engagements with South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia in the next two years.

© TOI

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