Ganguly's legendary toss masterstroke resurfaces in new book

Sourav Ganguly is widely regarded as one of the most influential captains in Indian cricket history, a leader whose era is remembered for unforgettable moments on and off the field — making Steve Waugh wait at the toss, celebrating shirtless on the Lord's balcony, clashing with coaches Greg Chappell and John Buchanan, trading barbs with Shane Warne, and standing his ground over fielding calls. Now a fresh anecdote from former Australia captain Michael Clarke, quoted in Boria Majumdar's book Eleven Gods and a Billion Indians, reveals a lighter — and far cheekier — side of "Dada".

The flip that flummoxed Ponting

The story, as Clarke tells it, unfolded at the toss during one of the matches in India — although Clarke admits he cannot recall exactly which game it was. Ricky Ponting had the coin in hand. Just as he flipped it, Ganguly, if Clarke is to be believed, said: "Head-Tail."

"Trust me, mate, that's what Ricky told me," Clarke says, cracking up. "Ricky said he couldn't fathom what had happened with Dada having said Head-Tail. [And, apparently it was said at the speed of lightning.] It had taken Ricky a second or two to come to grips with the situation and by that time the coin had come down. Ganguly just picked it up and said to Ricky, 'We'll bat' and walked off. India had won the toss and were batting. Ricky did not really know what to do or say and all he did was tell us in the dressing room exactly what happened at the toss."

A puzzle of venues and records

Clarke is unsure which match the incident took place in, and the available records offer only a teasing clue. According to the statistics, Ganguly won five tosses against Ponting — and all of those came outside India: twice during the 2003 World Cup and three times in the 2003-04 VB Series. That suggests Clarke may have mixed up the venue while recalling the story, since Ponting would have been the one calling the toss had the match been played in India.

Place and date aside, the anecdote has found a delighted audience among cricket fans, who have long savoured Ganguly's reputation for bending the game's decorum to his will. That the story is retold by Clarke, himself a distinguished Australia captain, and traced back to the man at the centre of it — Ponting — only adds to its charm. Whether history books ever pin down the exact fixture, the image of a bewildered Ricky Ponting holding a settled coin while Dada strides off announcing India will bat seems destined to become part of Ganguly folklore.