Nasser Hussain says defeat against India in the NatWest 2002 final at Lord's always gives him "sleepless nights" when he spoke exclusively to Sky Sports for the podcast series "One That Got Away".
Hussain was captain of England from 1999 to 2003, during which he helped oversee a change in the fortunes of the team's test matches on the underside of world cricket at one who would defeat the great Australian side of that era in Ashes 2005.
But success in the one-day format proved more difficult to achieve, and there are two painful defeats that still persist in Hussain's memory.
"My career had to be the best I could be or, as the captain, make England the best I could be," Hussain told Ian Ward in the last game. Whoever ran away podcast, which you can listen to in the following player.
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"But there are two games that I regret: the 2002 NatWest final against India and also the 2003 World Cup match against Australia in Port Elizabeth."
"We were all over Australia, but we ended up losing a game we should have won. That sums up the two games and why I have sleepless nights."
Nasser Hussain wonders how England failed to beat Lord & # 39; s in 2002
"& # 39; Could I have done something different? Could we have done something different? & # 39; These are games we lost and should have won."
Hussain: English number 3
England's last meeting at NatWest with India on July 13, 2002, at Lord's, started off pretty well for Hussain and his charges, the home team posting a formidable score of 325-5 on its 50 envelopes and the captain playing a leading role.
After winning the draw and choosing to strike first in a dream batting game, Hussain scored his only ODI century, while Marcus Trescothick also won a hundred at the top of the order.
"I was an average white ball cricketer," admitted Hussain. "I knew I was under pressure.
"For about a year, (Bob) Willis, (Ian) Botham and (Jonathan) Agnew on the radio have been saying," Hussain shouldn't be hitting number 3, he's white ball cricket trash. "Me up
"My big flaw in white ball cricket is that I got a lot of scores of around 30, chewing on deliveries. Then I panicked, I hit it in. # 39; air and I went out. "
"So I once again remember hitting 30 of the 50 deliveries on a very good launch from the Lord and I said to myself," For once, Nas, stay, do what you are supposed to do and get a hundred. And if you have a hundred, Paste three fingers on those three in the comment box. & # 39;
"I hit 99 and Zaheer Khan threw me one of the stump, I lowered him to the third man; he was hitting in the Nursery End, I walked past Freddie and in the Pavilion and I thought, "I will, right? "
Nasser Hussain makes point to his critics in the press after marking his only ODI century
"This is what made him what he was; he was a bit of a fighter at best. So I turned to the press box and lifted three fingers, pointing the three on the back of my shirt.
"Someone said at the time," I bet you will regret having done this. "I don't really know. If I were again in this position, I would do the same. "
"Ganguly hadn't forgotten"
Hussain's outbreak was typical of fiery encounters between England and India at the time, with opposition patrolled by the equally passionate Sourav Ganguly.
The two teams met in a six-game series earlier that year in India, England returning from 3-1 to finally share the spoils: a shirtless Freddie Flintoff leading the celebrations after ODI’s sixth win. in Mumbai.
Ganguly hadn't forgotten.
Andrew Flintoff leads the celebrations after England defeated India in Mumbai to draw their ODI 3-3 series.
"Ganguly changed Indian cricket," said Hussain. "Before Ganguly, India was a very humble and educated team. It made it a very fighting team."
"Freddie bowed brilliantly to death in this heat, in scorching heat! He got the last wicket and, as was fashionable at the time, took off his shirt.
"He was putting his shirt over his head and somewhere in Ganguly's mind, he put it away and made sure to wear it at a later date."
The fall of the “Fab Five” in India
Return to the Lord; Ganguly, eager for revenge, quickly established England's score, shooting a fifty-35 ball as he and Virender Sehwag, just as aggressive, lifted an opening opening position. a century in just 13.1 overs.
"At that time, (325) was a very good score! But we knew it was a very flat move and they had this Fab Five," said Hussain.
The "Fab Five" of India consisted of Ganguly, Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman.
Laxman was not playing that day, and once Alex Tudor finally fired Ganguly for 60 to day 15 of the response from India, incredibly, England did a light job of what was left of the Fab Five.
Ashley Giles Takes Sachin Tendulkar To Leave India Struggling With 146-5
"We have ATMs at regular intervals and we got 146-5," Hussain recalls.
"Now you ask me what I think of the treadmill; I have India with a score of 146-5, chasing 326 – we have Ganguly, Sehwag, Dravid and Tendulkar there – c & Is when you think what could i have done differently?
(Did you take your foot off the gas?) "I didn't do it. But thinking about it, I guess some of our team members may have done it. It must be a reaction natural.
"Ganguly, himself, admitted that he thought the match was gone. They had two young boys arriving, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif who hadn't done much for them yet."
"Not bad for a bus driver"
Yuvraj and Kaif started to build a company. Having linked themselves at the beginning of the 24th, they formed an association of fifty out of 33 and then ran for a century post in 39.
Paul Collingwood eventually represented Yuvraj, 42nd for 69, but Kaif continued, leading his team to a sensational two-window victory in the final when he finished unbeaten at 87.
Mohammad Kaif celebrates after 87 of his 75 balls won India's victory in the final
"This is the best round the boy has played. We will always remember it," added Hussain.
"I remember walking in and there was a little sled: someone said," Who is it, then jump? "And I said something like" I think you should drive the bus; leads to Tendulkar. "
"I could have compensated for this ending with an after dinner speech, but when it hit the winning runs, it was like" not bad for a bus driver. ""
As Kaif absorbed the moment between the two, on the balcony of the Indian team's locker room, a shirtless Ganguly furiously waved his Indian shirt over his head to celebrate.
He had his revenge. For Hussain, it was he who fled.
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