By Qaiser Mohammad Ali, IANS
Kanpur : Former captain Sourav Ganguly rated his 87 against South Africa on the second day of the third cricket Test here Saturday as the best knock of his career, considering the degree of difficulty.
Ganguly’s innings helped India to take a slender lead of 23 runs and score 288 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the first innings, in reply to South Africa’s 265 at the Green Park Stadium.
“There was pressure since I was coming back. In terms of difficulty of surface, it’s number one innings,” Gangly told reporters after the day’s play.
Ganguly said he had decided to play his natural game and remain positive in approach.
“I decided to be positive, go out and hit the ball that was to be hit. The key was to keep the scoreboard moving,” he said.
“I wanted to play my normal game. On such surfaces, it’s how you think matters. If you think about the delivery that goes through the top, you will get out to normal deliveries.”
On missing out what would have been his 16th century, the 35-year-old batsman said that this was not the first time he had missed out on a century.
Ganguly showed good temperament on a pitch that was not conducive for batting.
“It was a difficult pitch. South African bowlers are quick and if the ball starts going over top it gets difficult. We batted well to get to 288,” he said.
Looking ahead, he said anything could happen in the match.
“On this surface you never know what’s going to happen. If the spinners bowl well and we get early wickets we can bowl them out below 150,” he hoped.
“We played (left-arm spinner Paul) Harris well. He might spin it more in the second innings. But if we bowl well in third innings we have a chance. If Sreesanth and Ishant (Sharma) can do some magic tomorrow it will be great. Somehow we have to get to 50-run lead and pick up early wickets … it will be great,” he said.