Former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist was a part of the Australian squad that lost to India in the Kolkata Test of 2001, despite enforcing the follow-on. He still remembers the smugness of the faces of Indian players after the Test match.

The heroics of VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, and Harbhajan Singh will remain etched in the memories of those who watched one of the most epic encounters in Indian cricket history unfold at the jam-packed Eden Gardens in 2001.

Gilchrist too has memories of the game, and also of how happy the Indian team members were after pulling off a sensational victory over the world-beaters. While the Indians celebrated in the dressing room, the Australians waited for them on the charter flight to Chennai.

VVS Laxman reminisces life lessons from India’s iconic victory in 2001 Kolkata Test

Adam Gilchrist told foxsports.com.au, “I remember sitting after the game in Calcutta and both teams had to fly down to Chennai and we wound up in the change rooms and it was a charter flight that both teams were on, and we were left sitting there waiting and waiting and waiting whilst the Indians celebrated back at the ground.”

“They finally made their way out and, understandably, with pretty smug looks on their faces,” he added.

The Australians failed to recover from that loss according to the southpaw and thus failed to win the Chennai Test as well. Gilchrist revealed that he was tired both mentally and physically before the final Test match.

“I’m not sure we did recover. I certainly wasn’t physically or mentally ready to suit up again. And it was a super quick turnaround and before we knew it we were in another dog fight. India just played so well and Harbhajan (with 15 wickets in the match) just controlled the game and that was that,” Gilchrist concluded.