On this day, March 14, 2001, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman added an epic 376 runs in the second Test between India and Australia which was played in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. India was asked to follow on after they were bundled for 171 in reply to Australia’s 445 in the first innings.
Australia was on track for innings win as they had reduced India to 232/4 with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly back in the pavilion.
However, VVS Laxman, who was promoted to the no.3 spot in the second innings, and Rahul Dravid, who was demoted to the no.6 spot, batted the whole fourth day together and added 376 runs for the 5th wicket.
Laxman fell for 281 runs and Dravid made 180 runs, taking India to 657/7d, setting Australia 384 runs to win the Test and the series as they had already won the first Test in Mumbai.
Hemang Badani quoted journalist Joy Bhattacharya’s tweet about the epic Dravid-Laxman partnership and recalled: “Not many know that at the end of day 3, we had packed our suitcases, they were to be taken straight to the airport and the team were to go straight to the airport from the ground. And then these two batted like magicians without losing a wicket the entire day.
When we got back to the hotel, we didn’t have our suitcases and were stuck with our match gear and tracks until about 9 pm or so. Lot of us ate dinner at the hotel restaurant in our whites.”
Harbhajan Singh then came to the party in the second innings, after taking 7/123 in the first innings including the first-ever hat-trick by an Indian in Tests. The off-spinner added 6/73 to his kitty and with Sachin Tendulkar’s 3/31, India managed to halt Australia to 212 runs and won the Test by 171 runs in one of the most epic matches.
