Sourav Ganguly Test timeline

June 21-22, 1996 - Makes his Test debut at Lord's and scores an imperious century.

July 4, 1996 - Follows it up with another century in the very next Test in Nottingham.

August , 1997 - Following his first ODI century, Ganguly scores 147 in the second Test against Sri Lanka, an innings instrumental in drawing the Test.

November - December, 1997 - With 392 runs at 98 per innings, including a 109 and 173, he ends the three-Test series against Sri Lanka as top scorer and Man of the Series.

February 26, 2000 - After finishing as the highest run-scorer in his first ODI series as captain, Ganguly was named full-time captain.

March 21, 2001 - End of one month of most enthralling Test cricket. Ganguly is the leading face of a brash, aggressive Indian team who come back from an impossible situation to beat Australia 2-1.

November, 2001 - In an unprecedented and highly controversial action, Ganguly and five other Indian players are summoned by Mike Denness, the match referee, and warned for excessive appealing during the Port Elizabeth Test. He is also accused of not controlling his players and is punished with a suspended ban for one Test and two ODIs. India lose the three-Test series 2-0, and the third is deemed unofficial by the ICC amid threats of a revolt by India and the BCCI.

July 2002 - Ganguly scores a century in the Test series against England that India manage to draw 1-1.

April 16, 2004 - Becomes the first Indian captain to win a Test series in Pakistan. Also with 15 Test wins, he becomes India's most successful captain.

October 10, 2004 - India lose the first Test against Australia in Bangalore by 217 runs. He struggles both as a batsman and as a captain, and his withdrawal from the last two Tests due to injury leads to much media speculation and controversy.

March 28, 2005 - The signs of his decline are evident from his series average of 9.6 against Pakistan at home. Pakistan triumph in the decider in Bangalore, virtually signaling the end of the successful Ganguly-Wright relationship.

September 15, 2005 - Ganguly goes public with his dismay at Chappell's suggestions while on a tour of Zimbabwe that he steps down as captain. Chappell is not amused, maintaining that the Indian captain asked him for his honest opinion on his form and leadership in a private meeting between the two. On the team's return to India, Ganguly is publicly ostracised and there are more calls for his sacking. Forty-eight hours after saying that he respected the Indian captain and looked forward to working with him in the future, Chappell fires off a damning memorandum to the BCCI.

November 22, 2005 - The selectors end his five-year reign as Test captain when they pick Rahul Dravid to lead India in the Tests against Sri Lanka.

January - March, 2006 - Picked for the Test series in Pakistan, Ganguly does not bat in the first Test, is dropped for the second, and scores 34 and 37 in the third. His performance isn't enough to secure a spot in the one-day series that followed and is also omitted from the squad for the home Tests against England.

November 30, 2006 - Ganguly is picked for the Test series in South Africa and scores 83 in a tour match to rescue his side and take the momentum into the Test series.

December 15, 2006 - Scores a half-century with the tail as India reach a crucial 249 and bowl South Africa out for 84. They go on to win by the Test by 123 runs but lose in the final Test to squander an opportunity for a rare series win. Ganguly is the top scorer for India.

July - August, 2007 - Scores 249 runs at 49.80 in India's series win in England, and has secured his place in both Test and ODI sides.

November - December, 2007 - Scores his first century at his home ground Eden gardens and follows it up with a career-best 239 and 91 in Bangalore. He further contributes in the field to take India to a series triumph over Pakistan.