Ganguly rates knock as one of his best

By N.Ananthanarayanan

KANPUR, India (Reuters) - Saurav Ganguly said his 87 on Saturday was one of his best knocks and was hopeful it would lead India to victory against South Africa in the third and final test to square the series.

Ganguly top-scored on a deteriorating pitch to give India a 23-run first innings lead on the second day after the hosts reached 288 for nine at stumps.

"It is one of the best knocks I have played considering the surface, it is one of my top test knocks," the 35-year-old former skipper told reporters.

Ganguly was disappointed to miss his 16th test century after he was out at the same score for the second successive innings, holing out fast bowler Dale Steyn to deep cover to be the ninth wicket to fall.

He also top-scored in the second innings of the previous test in Ahmedabad last week which South Africa won by an innings and 90 runs to take a 1-0 series lead.

His crucial partnerships lifted the innings on a pitch where some deliveries exploded from the cracks.

"On this surface you never know what is going to happen," he said. "If the spinners bowl well and we get early wickets, we can bowl them out below 150."

Ganguly hoped the last wicket pair of Shanthakumaran Sreesanth and Ishant Sharma could somehow click.