'Don't Panic': Mohammed Kaif recalls Sourav Ganguly’s inspiring pep talk during the NatWest final in 2002

India's win in the 2002 NatWest series remains one of the most memorable moments in Indian cricket. Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh displayed some brilliant batting in a nail-biting chase to guide India to victory. The then captain Sourav Ganguly famously waved off his jersey from the iconic Lord’s balcony.

England posted a total of 325 runs on the board, and India, on the back of an amazing display of grit from its middle-order, gunned down the target. Beating England at home was no small feat at the time.

Mohammed Kaif, who top-scored for India with an unbeaten 84 off 75 balls, has given insights into the mood in the dressing room before the tough chase, and the pep talk which Ganguly gave. In his column for the Indian Express, Kaif wrote:

“It hadn’t started so well. I remember the scene in the dressing room just before we went out to chase. We were struggling to figure out how to chase big totals those days and there was a feeling of ‘here we go again’,”

“The mood was low. John Wright, our coach, stood at one end and it was more a players’ meeting. We stood around as Sourav Ganguly spoke: “Don’t panic. We will just start well, try not to lose any wicket and take it on later.”

“And he (Ganguly) did what he said,” Mohammed Kaif wrote.

'Never batted in such an atmosphere': Mohammed Kaif

Ganguly and Virender Sehwag stitched a 106-run stand for the first wicket. While Sehwag’s contribution was a 45 off 49 balls, Ganguly scored a quick 43-ball 60. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid were later dismissed cheaply and India were in a spot of bother, but Kaif and Yuvraj stood up in the lower-middle order with a 121-run stand for the sixth wicket.

“He (Ganguly) hit a six over covers, as he and Virender Sehwag gave us momentum. But then wickets fell and I was in the middle. I had never batted in such an atmosphere, in at no. 7, Sachin was out and still some 180-odd runs needed in 24 overs,” Kaif wrote.