During his days in the cricketing hinterland last year, Sourav Ganguly had a ‘100’ fixation. Stuck at 88 Tests and the future dark, Ganguly spoke about his desperation to reach the three-figure mark. Bengal’s Ranji Trophy trainer Chinmoy Roy, who has spent countless sweaty hours at the Eden with Ganguly, says his famous ward got “umeed se dugna” after the highest-ever almost nine-hour epic knock of 239 in his 99th Test at Chinnaswamy Stadium today.

“A number of times he used to tell me, ODIs are okay but I want to play 100 Tests. But the double century never got mentioned,” he says.

Many might say that for a batsman of his calibre, the 200 took a lot of time coming. Listening to Roy, one gets to understand that Ganguly reaching his fitness peak late in life could be the reason for his first 200 in the 99 Tests. His mental strength and skills were never doubted, but it was his fitness that was constantly under the scanner.

After today’s knock, opinions on Ganguly have changed. Former Pakistan opener Aamer Sohail speaks about the importance of Ganguly to the team. “In Tendulkar’s absence he took the responsibility on his shoulders. He played a big role in guiding the youngsters like Yuvraj, Kaarthick and Pathan,” says Sohail. The 36-year-old is no longer dead wood, but the tree trunk that supports the team.

Calling Sourav Ganguly’s slow march towards his 200 a case of “nervous nineties” would be grossly unfair to the man of the moment. On December 26, 2006, Ganguly played his 90th Test against South Africa in Durban, and on the same date this year he will be playing his 100th Test against Australia in Melbourne. While in his 90s, he has scored 1034 runs so far and that includes two centuries, three half-centuries and now comes the 239.

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