Call it a jinx or label them chokers, the Indian team has won just one tournament in the five years since Sourav Ganguly has been at the helm.
Sunday's Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka could either confirm the notion or herald a new beginning in what has otherwise been an impressive 'Ganguly era'.
In 12 One-Day International series featuring more than two teams, India emerged second-best on nine occasions, shared the trophy twice and were crowned champions once.
The crowning moment was at Lord's in 2002, when India defied all odds and chased a target of 325 runs to claim the NatWest Trophy. Ganguly then lost his shirt, literally, on the players' balcony at the Mecca of cricket.
In the first year when Ganguly took over, in 2000, India lost to South Africa in Sharjah, came a cropper against New Zealand in the mini World Cup in Kenya and then were hammered out of sight by Sri Lanka, again in Sharjah in November.
India strutted its stuff in Zimbabwe in 2001 and won all its games before the West Indies surprised them in the final with aggressive tactics.
Playing against Sri Lanka soon thereafter, India failed to come to terms with the hosts, or perhaps the absence of its star player Sachin Tendulkar, and was beaten in the finals.
India never stood a chance against South Africa in an away series and then ran into Australia in three consecutive series -- 2003 World Cup, the TVS Cup at home followed by the VB Series finals Down Under last season.
India shared the title in the TVS Cup in Dhaka, when the final against South Africa was washed out, and the 2002 Champions Trophy, when India and Sri Lanka were declared joint winners as rain intervened again.
In tournaments involving two teams, India have done only marginally better. They defeated the West Indies in 2002 and beat Pakistan by a 3-2 margin in an exciting series earlier this year.
Even at home, India's record is nothing to rave about. Since 2000-2001, they have twice triumphed against Zimbabwe in familiar conditions but otherwise they have either been beaten by Australia and the West Indies or held by England.
Ganguly opened his captaincy account with a 3-2 win against South Africa in 1999-2000 but since then the team has never been able to get past any other team except Zimbabwe.
Though India have at least made it to the finals of all tournaments it has contested under Ganguly, the fact is unlikely to cheer up the ambitious left-hander.
As his team enters an exciting era, Ganguly is keen to force a revision on all counts -- the evidence of it could come as early as this Sunday.
© 2024 Rediff.com -