5 life lessons we can learn from Sourav Ganguly

#4 Don't get intimidated by menacing nemesis

Ganguly did not allow the opposition's reputation to dictate terms

Much like the way in which Imran Khan's Pakistani team took the fight to the powerful Caribbean juggernaut during the latter half of 1980s, Sourav Ganguly's Indian unit stood toe to toe with the all-conquering Australian outfit of the early 2000s. With his counterpart dubbing India as their 'Final Frontier', not many expected India to match up to a star-studded Aussie lineup despite having the comforts of home conditions. When the visitors were on the precipice of a famous series victory, the Miracle of Eden Gardens happened and India pulled off an euphoric 2-1 triumph.

While one cannot take credit away from VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid for their series-defining partnership or Harbhajan Singh for his astonishing spells, Ganguly's strong leadership played a pivotal role in shaping the proceedings. Be it psychologically denting Steve Waugh by deliberately making him wait at the toss or promoting Laxman ahead of the more experienced Sachin Tendulkar, the captain marshalled his troops by making them believe that they had it in them to slay the menacing Australians.

In a massive country like India where there is relentless competition in every field, the presence of tougher and more accomplished rivals can sap one's self-belief. However, as Ganguly showed by leading his nation to a game-changing triumph, the first step in vanquishing stronger competitors stems from denying credence to their reputation. Even if the adversary appears to be impenetrable, unshakable confidence on one's own ability goes a long way in achieving seemingly unthinkable challenges.