'They were a bit grumpy', Sourav Ganguly on why he made Steve Waugh wait for toss during 2001 India-Australia Tests

India-Australia rivalries in cricket have always been interesting. Cricket lovers in both the countries like watching their respective teams go head-to-head. Although all India-Australia series have been exciting events, the 2001 Test series remain etched in the memory of fans. The Australians, at that time under the captaincy of Steve Waugh, were unbeatable, and in 2001, the Kangaroos came to India on the back of 15 consecutive Test wins. [caption id=“attachment_8574461” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sourav Ganguly asserted that Steve Waugh is a friend and he has tremendous respect for him as a cricketer. Twitter @ICC[/caption] It was predicted that the Australians would easily get the better of the hosts. But, what happened was surprising. India won the series 2-1, ending the winning spree of the Australian side. After losing the first Test, India, under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly, bounced back in the series and clinched victory in the remaining two games. Apart from India’s win, the 2001 Test series is remembered for Ganguly’s mind games. The BCCI president, in a recent conversation with India batsman Mayank Agarwal on the latest episode of Open Nets with Mayank, talked about why he used to come late for the toss in that series. Waugh has on several occasions mentioned that he was annoyed by Ganguly in the 2001 series because the then Indian captain would come late for the toss. Explaining his side of the story, the former Indian skipper said that it was an accident as he left his blazer in the dressing room. He revealed that he was nervous as it was his first big series as captain and Australia were such a good side. Ganguly added that initially he forgot his blazer, but he realised that Waugh reacted to it. “It was working on them, working on the team, and how they went about their jobs. They were a bit grumpy with all that and it worked for us as we won the series 2-1,” the BCCI president said. Ganguly asserted that Waugh is a friend and he has tremendous respect for him as a cricketer.