Relive: The Birth of a New Era with Ganguly's 141 Against Pakistan

image-ljttf06ySourav Ganguly redefined an era

Former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly, is celebrating his 51st birthday today. The legendary batter is receiving wishes from his fans from across the globe. 

Reliving the day Ganguly took on Pakistan single-handedly with his 141

As the cricketing world celebrates Ganguly’s birthday, let’s relive a magnificent 141 by the 'Prince of Kolkata', which he smashed during the tri-series in Adelaide against a robust Pakistan bowling attack in the year 2000.

The Adelaide Oval witnessed a show of batting brilliance and clinical precision by a man in his prime, who was known for his aggressive captaincy and stylish left-handed batting. Up against him was a fearsome Pakistani trio — Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, and Saqlain Mushtaq which was acclaimed to be one of the best bowling attacks of that era.

Coming into bat, Ganguly and Tendulkar stitched an 88-run opening partnership before the latter was dismissed for 41. The expectations and pressure were sky-high considering the game was against Pakistan and the stage was set for a hero to rise, and that hero emerged in the form of Ganguly.

The legendary southpaw began cautiously, aware of the threat that Akram's swinging deliveries and Akhtar's thunderbolts posed. Against Mushtaq's bamboozling spin, he displayed uncanny judgment, shouldering arms to the good balls while punishing the loose ones. His 50 came off steadily which was a stable start that paved the way for a grand extravaganza.

The second half of his innings was a confluence of impudence and grace. His driving, a spectacle in itself, was unforgiving, whether it was Akram's deceptive swingers or Akhtar's lethal speed. Even the Rawalpindi Express, who was known to intimidate the best with his sheer pace, had no answers to Ganguly's brilliance.


Ganguly’s square cut, a shot he owned like an artist owns his signature style, was on full display that day. The contest reached its climax when Ganguly danced down the wicket and lofted Mushtaq over long-on for a massive six. It was audacious, it was defiant, and above all, it was a statement.

The dynamic batter reached his century in the 39th over. But he didn't stop there. Unleashing a barrage of strokes around the park, he swiftly moved onto 141 before being dismissed in the penultimate over. The Prince of Kolkata had single-handedly torn apart one of the world's most deadly bowling attacks as India posted 267/6. Eventually, India went on to win the game by 48 runs after bowling out Pakistan for 219.

Today, we relive not just Ganguly's 141 but also the birth of an era where Indian cricket dared to look its oppositions in the eye and rise to the challenge. And for that, we tip our hats to the 'Dada' of Indian cricket, Sourav Ganguly.