'Immortals' VVS Laxman & Dravid's comeback against Australia 20-years-old; BCCI celebrates

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Sunday remembered the masterclass of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid against Australia from the famous 2001 test played at the Eden Gardens. Two decades ago on 14th March 2001, Indian cricket witnessed one of the most glorious chapters when India went to win the match after being enforced for follow-on.

Batting first at the Eden Gardens, Australia scored 445 runs. Captain Steve Waugh's century and opener Mathew Hayden's half-century helped the visitors to reach such a mammoth total in the first innings.

In response, India got all-out at 171 and only Laxman was able to score a half-century. Australia's Glenn McGrath took 4 wickets which helped the Kangaroos to enforce the follow-on against India.

Indian cricket fans were expecting that India might lose the match or at its best, the match might be drawn. However, what everyone saw later is now registered as one of India's greatest chapters. Laxman and Rahul Dravid's 376 runs partnership placed India in a very strong position.  

Laxman played for 631 minutes and scored 281 runs off 452 balls with the help of 44  boundaries. While Rahul Dravid 'The Wall' played for 446 minutes and scored 180 runs with the help of 20 boundaries. Unfortunately, Rahul Dravid's innings ended when he was run out by Steve Waugh. 

Playing the follow-on, India scored 657/7 and declared its innings. In response, the visitors got all-out at 212 runs. For India, Harbhajan Singh shone in both innings as he took 10 wickets. 

Laxman almost cried due to stiff back

VVS Laxman played the innings of his life. He later revealed that three days before the match while batting in the nets he had a stiff back. Laxman even said that he almost cried as his entire upper body was tilted on the left side  

'The best test innings I have ever seen'

Steve Waugh who was captaining Australia in the 2001 Kolkata test said that Laxman's innings of 281 is the best he has ever seen. 

He said, "280 odd he got against us in Kolkata was probably the best test innings I have ever seen. We would have loved to have gotten him out, of course, but as a captain, I just ran out of ideas and ran out of options."

"There wasn’t much left to do and he played Shane Warne and every bowler with contempt. That was an innings that was almost super-human, so you had to sort of sit back and admire it, and say ‘well done and you are too good for us today. His placement stroke was unbelievable. I think the bouncing ball in our conditions in Australia probably makes a bit more vulnerable but he had a great eye."