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'Aggression Is Fine But...,' Sourav Ganguly Takes Cheeky Dig At India's Debacles In ICC Tournaments

image-lj149g53India's wait for ICC trophy continued after loss in WTC final vs Australia

In a recent appearance on the popular Star Sports show 'Follow the Blues,' former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly emphasized the crucial link between aggression and performance for India to emerge victorious in knockout matches of ICC events.

Sourav Ganguly advises India to combine aggression with performance

Ganguly's remarks came in the wake of India's humiliating 209-run loss to Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final earlier this month, which further prolonged their quest for an ICC trophy since their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy under MS Dhoni.

When asked about the key factors that could propel India to success in knockout encounters, Ganguly remarked that while aggression is important, it must be accompanied by strong performance. He stated that during the period from 2001 to 2006, India's batting consistently scored massive runs in prominent venues, exerting pressure on the opposition.

"Aggression is fine but you also need performance with that. If you see the five-six years between 2001 and 2006, India's batting scored 500-600 runs in big-big venues, whether it was Sydney, Brisbane, Headingley, Nottingham, Oval, Peshawar, Islamabad or Lahore, due to which they put the opposition team under pressure,” said Ganguly.

Ganguly firmly believes that the current Indian team needs to emulate this approach in order to excel in the contemporary cricketing landscape. Recognizing the evolution of the game over the past decade, the former Indian captain acknowledged the altered nature of playing conditions and wickets. Nevertheless, he stressed the significance of India amassing substantial first-innings totals of 350-400 runs in Test cricket.

"So I feel the Indian team will have to do that somewhere or the other. I understand cricket has changed slightly between what it was 10 years ago and now, the situations and wickets have changed, but India will have to see that they score 350-400 runs in the first innings in Test cricket,” concluded the erstwhile cricketer.

India's recent performances in crucial encounters have left much to be desired. In the recent WTC final, India faltered with scores of 296 and 234 in their respective innings. Similarly, in the 2021 WTC final, they endured dismissals at 217 and 170, leading to New Zealand's resounding eight-wicket triumph.

As India continues to strive for elusive success in ICC tournaments, it’s time they pay heed to the Indian veteran’s advice and put on the batting displays of yesteryears in order to break free from their decade-long ICC trophy drought.