Even before the Indian cricket team departed for their 2003-04 Tour of Australia, the games had already started and once more, most of the insults came from the Australians.
There were even suggestions more muscular tactics – ‘chin music’ as it is popularly known – would be utilized on the Indians particularly to their captain Sourav Ganguly who had angered a few Australian players during the 2001 series in India.
What the Australians needed now was to take revenge and accompanying the first Test at their most favourite hunting ground – The Gabba – it was anticipated that when Ganguly came out for the toss with Steve Waugh playing his last series, the Asian team would be in for the worst.
To this call by Sourav Ganguly, who took the toss in this match, Australia was asked to bat first. Rain interrupted play for the first three days of the match. There was Zaheer Khan who got 5 of them but Justin Langer’s 121 helped the Australians reach 323 in their first innings.
Aakash Chopra and Virender Sehwag managed to share the initial standing that was worth 61 runs until the former was dismissed by Nathan Bracken. However, when Jason Gillespie picked up the wickets of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar – the latter’s, bucknor gave him out incorrectly – in an over, India faced little challenges at 62/3. And then Ganguly walked out to join Chopra at the crease.
Sourav Ganguly played all the trademark shots of a left-handed batter. He drove through the covers, cut through point, pulled mid-wicket, flicked mid-on. The Indian captain reached 50 in 74 balls and his century off 135 deliveries.
In his 1st innings out, Ganguly added 146 runs with VVS Laxman (75) for the 5th wicket in 206 balls and his 144 runs had 18 boundaries. Even Singhs innings where the batsman smashed his opposite Australian opposition was class and drew cheers from some of the Australians.
The Test match was a drawn affair but on that day, at the Gabba, Ganguly unflinchingly stood up to the plate and batted for India and made it clear to the Australians that they would not roll over and play dead in this series.
This also gave a glimpse of how the ‘Steve Waugh Farewell’ was being planned. The ex Australian captain had the help of all the experience, will power and determination to shift the Australian defeat in series to Australia’s succcess in the last test at Sydney.
