India vs England: 5 instances of sledging that made the game absorbing

4. Sourav Ganguly vs Andrew Flintoff, India versus England ODI series in India, followed by NatWest Series final in England

On February 3, 2002, Nasser Hussain’s England won the last two matches of a six-match ODI series against India in India to draw it 3-3, leaving the Indian team disappointed. It was all the more painful because India lost the last two games by 2 and 5 runs, respectively.

Flintoff was instrumental in the win in the last game in Mumbai where he took the last two wickets and effected a run-out to end the Indian innings. Rubbing salt into the wounds, Freddie Flintoff then ran around the ground with his shirt taken off as Ganguly, who was the highest scorer in the Indian innings with 80 runs, kept staring at the celebrations.

On July 13 the same year, India were playing the same opponent at the Lord’s in the final of the NatWest Series. England put up a high score of 325 for 5 in their 50 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first. While chasing, India were once reduced to 146 for 5 but then a heroic 121-run stand between Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif turned the tables around for the visitors and despite Flintoff’s late flurry with wickets, it was in his over that India stole the winning runs to win the match by 8 wickets and lifted the trophy.

Ganguly, who was waiting for his turn for five months, did not let the opportunity go as the whole world saw him wildly fluttering his shirt from the famous Lord’s balcony, just to pay back Flintoff in his own coin. Ganguly and Flintoff did not share a great relationship during their days of camaraderie in county side Lancashire, something Flintoff also mentioned in his autobiography Being Freddie, but the tit-for-tat for Mumbai in Lord’s is something that the Indian fans relish to this day. These episodes were never about sledging per se but yet their intensity was no less deep.