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.”

‘Dhoni’s like me’

Downplaying the myth surrounding his captaincy, Ganguly laid down the simple logic behind his leadership. “I just did what I felt was right. I never was a captain who believed in the drawing board. It was a phase where we needed to take Indian cricket forward. I was lucky to have players such as Sachin, Rahul, Laxman, Harbhajan, Viru, Anil playing their best cricket at that stage between 2000 and 2005. That helped and you saw the results overseas. I always believe that a captain is only as good as his team.”

He said he saw signs of his style of leadership in MS Dhoni. “I see a lot of the way I led in Dhoni. He doesn’t believe a lot in team meetings. He does what he sees on the cricket field. Being behind the stumps, he probably has a better view than I had,” Ganguly said, before leading on to more full-fledged praise of Dhoni, adding that Indian cricket was in good hands with him at the helm.

“He’s done wonderfully well so far with his win in the Twenty20 World Cup, in the ODI series in Australia and in beating Australia here. I know he has the abilities to take Indian cricket forward. Cricket needs a spark, it’s not just preparation and homework. MS has that spark on the field. And he has that extra bit of luck which you require in captaincy. He will be tested when India go overseas. I’m sure if the boys around him play well, he will definitely succeed.”

No looking back

Denying that he would reconsider his decision, Ganguly said he was willing to sacrifice 10-12 Test matches for getting a series win against Australia as a goodbye present.

“I have had my time. There is a time for everyone to leave and this is mine. I’m happy with the way things have gone. I had a good series and we have beaten the best team in the world 2-0. There were a lot of doubts after we came back from Sri Lanka, so this is the best thing that could’ve happened. I played well, the team played well, and the way this Test match has finished, I am ready to sacrifice a year of Test cricket for it.”

Just as no media briefing these days is complete without a vote of confidence for his longtime peers, this ‘senior’ also spoke out for them. “This series also shows you what my other compatriots have mentioned that the seniors are still good enough. My time is up but people like Sachin, Rahul, Laxman are still fantastic.”

Ganguly will now play two seasons of IPL, and perhaps a few Ranji games for Bengal. There are other offers — commentary and TV spots — but he says he hasn’t decided what he will do about them.

And there was also a word for the fans, eight thousand of who had cried themselves hoarse on Monday with chants of “Dada”. “Their support is the most valuable, it shows your contribution to the game,” he said. “These people have no agenda. Their gesture is genuine, so I’ll cherish it for life.”