I was appearing for my grade X exams in March 2001 and something remarkable happened in Indian cricket history. A lot has been said about the Border-Gavaskar Trophy of 2001 but even today I believe it deserves a mention. Australia had won 15 consecutive test matches before this series and was easily the best cricket team at that time with the best bowling attack of all time. The Australian cricket team played aggressive cricket and always looked to win test matches.
The first test at Mumbai was dominated by Australia and won the game handsomely with Indian batsmen struggling to score runs. The silver lining was the young spinner Harbhajan Singh. India was down in the series and Australia super confident with 16 consecutive wins and having dominated India in the 1st test was looking to close the series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Australians batted first in all the matches of that series and scored 400+ in the first innings of Kolkata test. India couldn't bat well against McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne and conceded a lead of 273 runs. Only VVS Laxman managed to score a half-century but more important was the way he was playing. He was playing positive cricket and stroking the ball nicely. India was asked to follow on by Steve Waugh and with no chance of winning the test, Indians were looking at salvaging some pride and going down fighting. India made a decent start and at the fall of first wicket in came Laxman. Laxman was promoted to number 3 because he was the only batsman who was in great form and was the best batsman for the team. He played positive cricket throughout the innings and scored his 2nd Test century and 2nd against Australia and, along with Dravid, played one of the best test innings in the history. India won that test match and was only the 3rd team to do so in more than 1500 test matches. India went on to win the 3rd test at Chennai with a century by Tendulkar and half centuries by openers- Ramesh and Das and half centuries by Laxman and Dravid. Thus, India won the test series and Harbhajan Singh was adjudged Man of the series for his consistent performance and picking up 32 wickets. He was making a comeback to the Indian team in the absence of Anil Kumble who was injured.
The Kolkata test is definitely a turning point in the Indian cricket. No one gave a chance to India in that test match. Even Indian captain Sourav Ganguly didn't believe that the team could win the test match. That win ended the Australian team's winning streak of 16 tests and gave India the belief that it can win from unfavorable circumstances. This can be seen from the ODI Natwest Trophy final against England in 2002 or Adelaide test in 2003 where once again Laxman and Dravid helped India win a test match. That test was a remarkable victory as winning a test outside subcontinent was always a challenge. That innings of Laxman made Very Very Special Laxman and India under Sourav Ganguly went on to have one of the strongest middle order in the history of cricket.
The first test at Mumbai was dominated by Australia and won the game handsomely with Indian batsmen struggling to score runs. The silver lining was the young spinner Harbhajan Singh. India was down in the series and Australia super confident with 16 consecutive wins and having dominated India in the 1st test was looking to close the series at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Australians batted first in all the matches of that series and scored 400+ in the first innings of Kolkata test. India couldn't bat well against McGrath, Gillespie, Kasprowicz and Warne and conceded a lead of 273 runs. Only VVS Laxman managed to score a half-century but more important was the way he was playing. He was playing positive cricket and stroking the ball nicely. India was asked to follow on by Steve Waugh and with no chance of winning the test, Indians were looking at salvaging some pride and going down fighting. India made a decent start and at the fall of first wicket in came Laxman. Laxman was promoted to number 3 because he was the only batsman who was in great form and was the best batsman for the team. He played positive cricket throughout the innings and scored his 2nd Test century and 2nd against Australia and, along with Dravid, played one of the best test innings in the history. India won that test match and was only the 3rd team to do so in more than 1500 test matches. India went on to win the 3rd test at Chennai with a century by Tendulkar and half centuries by openers- Ramesh and Das and half centuries by Laxman and Dravid. Thus, India won the test series and Harbhajan Singh was adjudged Man of the series for his consistent performance and picking up 32 wickets. He was making a comeback to the Indian team in the absence of Anil Kumble who was injured.
The Kolkata test is definitely a turning point in the Indian cricket. No one gave a chance to India in that test match. Even Indian captain Sourav Ganguly didn't believe that the team could win the test match. That win ended the Australian team's winning streak of 16 tests and gave India the belief that it can win from unfavorable circumstances. This can be seen from the ODI Natwest Trophy final against England in 2002 or Adelaide test in 2003 where once again Laxman and Dravid helped India win a test match. That test was a remarkable victory as winning a test outside subcontinent was always a challenge. That innings of Laxman made Very Very Special Laxman and India under Sourav Ganguly went on to have one of the strongest middle order in the history of cricket.
