Ganguly and the art of the piss off

Of course I'll remember him cover-driving Alan Mulally off the front foot; of course I'll remember that six off Kumar Dharmasena in 1997 when the ball, a tiny speck in the horizon, soared over the Wankhede Stadium flood-lights; and of course I'll remember him giving himself room, charging down the pitch like an enraged bull and toweling Aquib Javed past point in Dhaka. But here's why Sourav was different from the rest.

Tendulkar in his pomp was impossible to bowl to. You just stood and gasped. You were outsmarted. Just concede defeat. He could have struck that ball to any corner he chose. Just applaud and go back to your crease. Show some grace. History will remember you as someone He hit for four.

Dravid in his pomp was different. You might as well be bowling to a concrete wall. You expend so much energy running in and he simply shoulders arms. When you get the line right, he's ready. Somehow he's simply boring you to give up. Just give him the single. Get me that Gatorade.

Laxman in his pomp was different. Bad day. He's flying and you're stuck. Just limit the damage. Look forward to tomorrow. Today is his. Bowl at the offstump, don't stray down leg. That way at least the crowd is marveling at his batting instead of realizing what garbage you're sending down.

Sourav in his pomp was different. You knew you could get him out - bouncer, bouncer, pitched up - but you also knew he could caress one through the covers after looking mighty clumsy. You knew he would fish outside off, you also knew he had the eye to ramp one over short third man. You knew, if nothing worked, you could run him out.

We loved him because he pissed bowlers off. He made their blood boil. He made them lose faith in themselves. He mocked at those technique-obsessed coaches. He looked beautiful amid looking ugly. Suddenly a gorgeous square-drive, suddenly a play-and-a-miss. From woah to yuck in a flash. From sensational to stupid. From one extreme to another, he had us transfixed.

There were few more endearing sights in cricket than Sourav messing with a bowler's mind. And we'll miss him for it.