Sourav Ganguly recalls India’s historic comeback against Australia in 2001
As India and Australia are finally on the field for the much-awaited four-match Test series, former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly recalled India’s famous win against the Aussies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, where the hosts scripted one of the greatest comebacks in Indian cricket history.
The mighty Australians were already 1-0 up in a three-match series after winning the first Test in Mumbai by 10 wickets. The visitors also dominated the first two days of the Kolkata Test by taking a massive 274-run lead in the first innings and enforcing India to follow-on. After that, what India did became part of the greatest comebacks in cricketing history.
“The greatest partnership in cricket’s history… On the fourth day, we lost no wickets and scored 335 runs. Rahul and VVS took drips after returning to the dressing room at the end of the day’s play. They lost a lot of fluids after batting through the entire day. But tiredness didn’t stop Rahul and VVS. They kept on fighting,” Ganguly wrote for Bengali daily Sangbad Pratidin.
After getting bowled out for 171 in the first innings, India posted a mammoth total of 657 runs in their second innings, giving visitors the target of 384 runs to chase. The main highlight of the whole Indian innings was the staggering 376-run partnership for the fifth wicket between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid. As Dravid scored 180 runs off 353 balls, VVS played a marathon knock of 281 runs off 452 deliveries.
“And Australia? They couldn’t believe what India were doing to them. When Harbhajan trapped Glenn McGrath LBW, the Eden Gardens exploded. That expression of emotions was infectious. It gave a new lease of life to Indian cricket. Our team had achieved something rare, which hasn’t been replicated yet. We proved that Australia can be beaten,” Ganguly further mentioned.
Harbhajan Singh was the main anchor of the Indian bowling in the fourth innings taking six wickets, conceding 73 runs. India bowled out Australia for 212 runs registering the famous Test victory by 171 runs. The Men in Blue went on to win the series by 2-1 after winning the Chennai Test by two wickets.
We went to Chennai to play the last Test with a lot of confidence: Sourav Ganguly
“We went to Chennai to play the last Test with a lot of confidence. But we knew Australia would be at its fearsome best there. I told the team to play their best cricket because the world has seen what happens when we play at our best. Matthew Hayden was playing the best cricket of his life. It was important to get him out early. But the main thing was to bat well and put them under pressure. We did that and won the series 2-1,” Ganguly added.
The former BCCI president also mentioned the 2001 series as the best series of his life and told that it matured him as a leader. “That 2001 series undoubtedly was the best of my life. That victory matured me as a leader. The team believed that they could win in any situation anywhere in the world,” said Ganguly.
