VVS Laxman's legendary 281 in the Kolkata Test of the memorable 2001 Border-Gavaskar Trophy features among former Australia skipper Ian Chappell's two all-time favourite knocks against high-quality spin.
Laxman, in a once-in-a-lifetime stand with teammate and friend Rahul Dravid, helped turned the Test match on its head against the mighty visitors' bowling attack, featuring the great Shane Warne.
From a hopeless situation at the end of Day 3, India not only overcame the follow-on but went on to achieve an unlikely victory thanks to Laxman and Dravid.
"The absence of any cricket (due to the COVID-19 pandemic) gives me an opportunity to reflect on an aspect of the game I enjoy: watching a batsman utilise good footwork to combat top-class spin bowling. Two innings stand out: one played by India's VVS Laxman, the other by Doug Walters of Australia," Chappell wrote for ESPNcricinfo.
Laxman hit Warne like very few could as he played shots all around the park, with and against the spin on a deteriorating surface.
"Laxman's incredible 281 at Calcutta in 2001 is the best I've seen against top-class leg-spin. At the conclusion of that exhilarating series, I asked Shane Warne how he thought he bowled. 'I don't think I bowled that badly,' he replied. 'You didn't,' I responded," Chappell recalled.
"If Laxman comes three paces out of his crease and hits an unbelievable on-drive against the spin and you then flight the next delivery a little higher and shorter to invite another drive and instead he quickly goes onto the back foot and pulls it, that's not bad bowling. That's good footwork."
"Laxman regularly did this during his 452-ball stay, in which he hit 44 boundaries. Therein lies a clue to Laxman's success: he consistently hit the ball along the ground," he added.
For Walter's act "on a Madras minefield" on the 1969 tour of India, Chappell called him the best player of spin he has seen.
"Walters scored a Test century in a session three times. There are no complete records regarding this feat but I suspect only Sir Donald Bradman did it more often."
"Walters was the best player of off-spin bowling I have seen; he didn't just survive against the very best, he occasionally battered them into submission," Chappell said.
"He scored a sublime hundred on a Madras minefield in 1969, facing the off-spin wizardry of Erapalli Prasanna, clubbing 14 fours and two sixes in the process."
(Inputs from PTI)
