Ganguly's strength is his
mind: Tendulkar

Though Sourav Ganguly has fascinated cricket lovers the world over with his superb timing and trademark cover drives, Sachin Tendulkar feels the biggest strength of the Indian captain lies "in his mind", which has helped him overcome difficult phases.

"His major strength is in his mind. He sets the bowler up, and before the bowler realises it, has already played a big shot," the batting maestro says in ESPN's 'Sachin Speaks of World Cup Stars' programme, to be telecast on Thursday.

"He is a hard-working fellow not only in the nets but also mentally. He gets back in the game - and that is where his strength lies. He thinks about his game."

Tendulkar says the balance and the way Ganguly plays, using the pace of the bowler, are the reasons behind his high consistency rate.

"It is the balance and the way he waits for the ball to come... and uses the pace of the bowler, which makes him special. When you start doing that, you are not committing..."

Recounting his record partnership with Ganguly during the tour of South Africa, he says: "In the last tour of South Africa, he played some big shots and I was at the off-strike end. I really, really enjoyed it. We were cracking jokes in between the overs and it was really fun that time."

Describing the south-paw's match-winning innings against Pakistan in Bangladesh as "the best and most important innings", Tendulkar says it was his big hundred which helped India come back into the match while chasing 315.

He says he always knew that Ganguly is very talented and was highly impressed with the way he batted in a practice match during the Australian tour in 1991-92.

"In Brisbane he scored 75-80 runs and played some beautiful shots. I knew he is always going to land up here."

Saying the "dream" of the Indian team is winning the World Cup in South Africa, he adds the side has a very high chance of winning it since it "surely has the strongest batting line-up".

"Having Rahul Dravid as the wicketkeeper in the team has certainly opened up options for us.

"If you want an extra bowler, we have an option to do it. And if we want to play with seven batsmen, we are doing that -- and that's what made the difference at Lord's."

At Lord's, in the NatWest Trophy final against England, India had accommodated young-gun Mohammad Kaif in the batting line-up and Dravid kept wickets. It was Kaif who played a match-winning 87 not out to fashion an incredible victory for the tourists.

On which opener -- Ganguly or Virender Sehwag -- should take the initiative of attacking the bowlers during the World Cup, Tendulkar says the player in form should do it.

I would say when we reach close to the World Cup, whoever is in the right form and striking the ball well should take the initiative."

Mail Cricket Editor