The impromptu round of applause, albeit muffled and almost embarrassed, was expected as Sourav Ganguly walked in for his final post-match press conference before a horde of stoic, seen-it-all-before pundits.

The last month could’ve been all about Ganguly, with a brief interlude for Anil Kumble’s farewell in Delhi, and even the Test series against Australia could well have been relegated to a side show — no more than a stage for the left-hander to bid farewell.

But keeping his focus firmly on cricket, the former captain ensured he gave his career the goodbye he felt it deserved. “I don’t think the duck (in his last innings on Sunday) made my career any more dramatic, it was dramatic anyway,” he said with a grin.

“I was more disappointed by the 85 in the first innings, because I missed a century despite coming so close.”

Now that he’s a “former player”, the feeling still not sinking in, Ganguly was loath to choose what he’d like to be remembered for — his off-side play, his captaincy, or his mental strength. “All three,” he said,” you can’t remove one from the other. They’re all part of me.”

But not all parts, he hastened to add, there were several sides that the public hadn’t seen. “I think I’m two different people, off the field and on the field. Critics have sometimes picked up what they saw on the cricket field, which is not the Sourav Ganguly who people close to me know. I’m very quiet and a soft-spoken person (which brought out a big laugh from the room). Hopefully I’ll remain that in the future.”

... contd.