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As Sourav Ganguly gets more and more embroiled in the ways of cricket administration, the memories of his playing days retreat into the past. His legacy as one of Indian cricket's finest captains will always precede him, but it should also be remembered that on his day, he was one of the most devastating hitters of a cricket ball.

One such day arrived on May 26, 1999, as India and defending champions Sri Lanka met in a group stage match of the 1999 World Cup in Taunton. After being put into bat, Ganguly and Rahul Dravid came together on only the fifth ball of the match, following Sadagoppan Ramesh's dismissal at the hands of Chaminda Vaas. What followed thereafter was utter mayhem.

This was 1999 remember, when six-hitting was not the norm as it is now in the T20 generation. Over 269 balls, Ganguly and Dravid unleashed the kind of rampage that had scarcely been seen before. Three hundred and eighteen runs – a world-record partnership and the highest ever in a World Cup at the time – were scored between them, as all of Sri Lanka's best, even Muttiah Muralitharan, were carted to all parts of the ground.

This was Ganguly at his primal best. He took a while to get going but when he did, he showed no mercy. He stepped out relentlessly and mercilessly, with the ball disappearing to all corners of the ground. Seven sixes came off his bat as he finished on 183 off 139 balls, still the fourth-highest score in a World Cup match.

It would be unwise to forget Rahul Dravid, who in his 145 off 129 balls, displayed the sort of calm and poise that characterised his entire career. Acting as the perfect foil to Ganguly, Dravid went into his own as the innings progressed, hitting boundaries at will. This was a time when he was lampooned as a slow player and not fit for One-Day Internationals. Dravid being Dravid, he let his bat do the talking.

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