July 13, 2002 was a red-letter day in Indian cricket. Not only because Sourav Ganguly’s Indians painted London red that evening through their amazing two-wicket victory in the NatWest Series final at Lord’s, but because Indian cricket started believing in themselves as a one-day unit.

The match fixing controversy and the disastrous 1999-2000 tour of Australia had left Indian cricket lovers distressed. The well-meaning officials in the Indian cricket board started to think ahead. They named Ganguly as captain after Sachin Tendulkar decided that his crown of thorns was becoming unbearable.