When Virender Sehwag Showed Sourav Ganguly Who the Real Captain Was!

One unforgettable moment from that era came during the 2002 NatWest Series Final at Lord’s against England. It was a match filled with drama, brilliance, and an iconic chase that showcased the fearless mindset of the team. Right at the top of it was an incredible moment between the two openers. Want to relive it? Let’s go back to that thrilling day.

When Sehwag Refused to Follow Ganguly’s Instructions and Took Charge

With the Natwest Finals in 2002, the fans have got memories associated with it because of the iconic run chase, the emotional celebrations, and the unforgettable moment between Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly during the innings. India were chasing a mammoth target of 325 runs set by England at Lord’s, which at that time was considered a near-impossible task. England’s total was powered by brilliant centuries from Marcus Trescothick and skipper Nasser Hussain, and the pressure was firmly on the Indian team in a high-stakes final. Opening the batting for India were Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag.

The duo got off to a dream start, stitching together a blazing opening partnership of 82 runs in just 12 overs. While Ganguly, the captain, tried to control the tempo of the innings and rotate the strike, Sehwag had something else on his mind — to play his natural game, no matter the situation. The incident that still sparks smiles occurred in the 13th over of the innings. Medium pacer Ronnie Irani came on to bowl, and Ganguly asked Sehwag to avoid risks and just focus on rotating the strike as they had already seen off the new-ball bowlers. On this, Ganguly said:

We were chasing 325 in that final. When we walked out to open, I was very disappointed and disturbed but Sehwag said we will win. We had a good start (82 in 12 overs) and I told him that since we had seen off the new ball bowlers, he should not lose his wicket and focus on singles.

Sehwag agreed in words but responded with his bat. On the very first ball of the over, Sehwag smashed a boundary. Ganguly immediately walked up to him and told him to calm down and take singles now. But Sehwag, unfazed, struck the second ball for another four. By the end of the over, Sehwag had slammed four boundaries — each shot more audacious than the last, including a flick, a paddle, and a wristy stroke over mid-wicket. Ganguly admitted later that he was furious at the moment but realised there was no point in holding Sehwag back. He added:

But when Ronnie Irani came in to bowl his first over, and Sehwag smashed a four off the first ball. I walked up to him and said we have a boundary, now let us take singles. But he didn’t listen and hit a four off the second ball too. He hit a four off the third ball too. I was very angry. Then he hit one off the fifth ball too. I realized there is no point in stopping him since his natural style of play is aggressive.

That moment taught him an important captaincy lesson — a good leader must adapt to a player’s mindset rather than enforce rigid plans. Although India suffered a middle-order collapse later in the innings, the historic run chase was completed thanks to young guns Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. The final became memorable not just for the win, but for the freedom with which players like Sehwag expressed themselves, changing the outlook of Indian cricket forever.

India vs England: Natwest 2002 Series Finals

On July 13, 2002, Lord’s Cricket Ground in London was electric with excitement as India pulled off a jaw-dropping two-wicket win over England in the NatWest Series Final, chasing down 326 with just three balls to spare. Mohammad Kaif’s cool-headed 87 not out earned him Player of the Match, while Marcus Trescothick’s 362 runs across the series made him Player of the Series. What happened that day became a legendary chapter in cricket, capped by Sourav Ganguly’s iconic shirt twirl on the Lord’s balcony.

England won the toss and chose to bat, piling on 325 for 5 in their 50 overs at a brisk 6.50 runs per over. Marcus Trescothick was on fire, smashing 109 off 100 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes, racing to his century in 138 minutes off 89 balls. Captain Nasser Hussain played the steady hand, scoring 115 off 128 balls with 10 fours, hitting his hundred in 143 minutes off 118 balls. Their 185-run partnership for the second wicket over 29.1 overs was the backbone of England’s total.

Andrew Flintoff added some late fireworks, blasting 40 off 32 balls with 2 fours and 1 six. Paul Collingwood, 3 not out off 4 balls, and Ronnie Irani, 10 not out off 7, finished things off. Extras helped with 31 runs: 2 byes, 16 leg byes, 6 no-balls, and 7 wides. India’s bowlers struggled, but Zaheer Khan stood tall, taking 3 for 62 in 10 overs, dismissing Nick Knight (14 off 29), Flintoff, and Michael Vaughan (3 off 5). Ashish Nehra got Hussain for 1 for 66, and Anil Kumble took Trescothick for 1 for 54.

India’s chase of 326 started like a dream. Virender Sehwag blasted 45 off 49 balls with 7 fours, and Sourav Ganguly went wild, smashing 60 off 43 balls with 10 fours and a huge six. Their 106-run opening stand in 14.3 overs had the crowd roaring. But things got shaky fast. Alex Tudor got Ganguly, Ashley Giles removed Sehwag, and Ronnie Irani removed Dinesh Mongia (9 off 15) and Rahul Dravid (5 off 12). When Giles dismissed Sachin Tendulkar for 14 off 19, India was in deep trouble at 146 for 5 after 23.6 overs.

That’s when Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif stepped up, sparking magic with a 121-run sixth-wicket stand over 17.5 overs. Yuvraj’s 69 off 63 balls, with 9 fours and a six, was full of flair, but Kaif’s unbeaten 87 off 75 balls, with 6 fours and 2 sixes, was the game-changer. His calm under pressure lit up the Lord’s. Harbhajan Singh added 15 off 13 with a six before Flintoff got him, and Kumble fell for 0 off 2 balls to the same bowler.

Zaheer Khan, 4 not out off 7, stayed with Kaif to seal the win at 326 for 8 in 49.3 overs, with a run rate of 6.58. England’s bowlers fought hard as Flintoff took 2 for 55 in 7.3 overs, Giles 2 for 47 in 10, Irani 2 for 64, Tudor 1 for 62, and Collingwood 1 for 24, while Darren Gough went 0 for 63. This was no ordinary win as Kaif’s nerves of steel and Yuvraj’s spark, topped by Ganguly’s wild celebration by taking off his T-shirt at the Lord’s Balcony, made this victory a story Indian fans still tell with pride.