Saurav still the "gaurav" of India...

It was a treat to watch the former captain play his best in the 5th ODI between India and England. This match was a do-or-die situation for the Indians in order to stay alive and compete in the series. Not long ago, the former captain was an outsider to the team, desperately trying to regain his flamboyant touch with the willow.

Dada worked relentlessly, playing many domestic and county tournaments. He gave his all to make a comeback into the Indian team. The odds were stacked against him with his role and place in the team being questioned. But, Saurav determined and focused that he is, gave an apt and convincing reply to all his critics by getting selected for the World Cup after a wonderful domestic and county stint. His selection for the World Cup forced his detractors to stop criticizing as he had earned his place with sheer performance and hard work.

Playing in his 300th ODI, it was a spirited and all round performance by Saurav. The stylish southpaw contributed with both the bat and ball. Saurav hit a 89 ball 59 - which is slow considering his past match performances, played second fiddle to Sachin's blistering knock of a 59 ball 71. The best ODI openers of India put together a solid partnership of 116 runs.

On a rain-hit pitch, Saurav's medium pace came to very good use. Often known as the partnership-breaker, he took two important wickets - that of Prior and Bell. These two key opening players were back in the pavilion with the score reading just 102 for 3. Indeed, the damage was done with the England openers being sent back. England never looked like they could manage to the target. Of course, the brave performance of captain Collingwood was a sole ray of hope. Saurav conceded just 26 runs in his 7 overs.

The Man of the Match award came as an icing on the cake on a very memorable day for Saurav. He just let his bat and ball do the talking. Despite his aging years, the Prince of Kolkata still looks like he is hungry for more and has much more to offer to Indian cricket. Needless to say, “Saurav, you are still the gaurav of India”.