Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman combine for 303-run partnership to claim miracle win over Australia
March 14, 2001 - Eden Gardens, Kolkata
After edging a Glenn McGrath seamer to Adam Gilchrist, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly was forced to exit the oppressive centre of Kolkata's Eden Gardens.
With 48 next to his name, Ganguly had missed the opportunity to notch another Test half-century. However, with only 232 runs next to his side's name for five wickets after being asked to follow on by the Aussies, so too had India's chance to square the series.
Or so it seemed.
After losing the series opener in Mumbai to the tourists by ten wickets, being skittled for 171 in response to Australia's 445 first-innings total, and losing their skipper to a stock-standard McGrath nut, the bookies were inundated with bets for the Aussies to conquer their final frontier โ winning a red-ball series in India.
Enter Rahul Dravid.
While 'The Wall' would peel off an imperious 180 from 353 balls, his efforts would be overshone by the very, very special efforts of the man at the other end, VVS Laxman.
Already on 109 when Dravid made his way to the crease, Laxman would go on to occupy it for a total of 452 balls across ten-and-a-half hours, eventually departing for 281.
The pair's partnership of 303 runs may have steered the hosts from the doorstep of certain defeat to the dizzying heights of a miracle 171-run win, however, victory was only sealed the next day after turban-wearing tweaker Harbhajan Singh snared the first-ever Test hat-trick by an Indian after dismissing superstars Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist in order.
The hosts would eventually wrap up their series win with a nailbiting two-wicket win on the final day of the third and final Test in Chennai the very next week.
More than two decades on from their fadeout under the withering sub-continent sun, Australia is still searching for its first series win against India in the sub-continent after being shaded 2-1 in 2023.
