Remembering the 376-run stand that restored faith in Indian Test cricket

The week that went by saw the 25th anniversary of one of the seminal moments in Indian cricket, which was also the occasion for one of the greatest turnarounds in the history of the game. The events that unfolded during the second Test, March 11 to 15, 2001, against the touring Australian side will be remembered forever by all cricket fans. It was not merely the stuff of edge-of-the-seat thrillers, but also provided a rare instance where the underdog stood up and vanquished the overwhelming favourite.

Indian cricket was going through a tumultuous phase when the Australians turned up to conquer the 'final frontier' in 2001. The match-fixing scandal that broke out following the tour of South Africa in March- April 2000, allegations about the involvement of certain top cricketers in the betting rackets and the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had severely dented the popularity of the game, with the credibility of the players and even the results being called into question.

The Indian side had a new skipper in Sourav Ganguly, after Sachin Tendulkar stepped down from the post citing “personal reasons”. In short, the popularity of the game was at its nadir, a situation comparable to that in 1974, after the rout of the national side during the tour of England.

The Australian side that landed in India in February 2001 was one of the strongest in the history of the game. Led by Steve Waugh, the side had won 15 Tests on the trot and were looking forward to topping their achievement by winning a series in India, last achieved in 1969-70. Besides having in their ranks some of the best batsmen and bowlers in contemporary cricket, they had a brilliant captain in Waugh Sr. A master tactician, it was Waugh who insisted on implementing the practice of batsmen scoring at the rate of four runs per over so that bowlers would get ample time to dismiss the opposing sides twice in a span of five days. Waugh was also an exponent of the art of “mental disintegration”, which the side practised to ensure overall superiority over their opponents.

India, on the other hand, was going through a slump. The side had toured Australia in 1999-2000 and been blanked in the three-Test series. This was followed by a rare home series loss against South Africa, after which Tendulkar stepped down from the helm. The wins over the lowly Bangladesh and Zimbabwe at home did little to improve the side's popularity. The public perception was slowly veering toward the view that the cricketers who wore the national colours were more keen on feathering their own financial nests than on bringing laurels to the country.

To add to these issues, skipper Ganguly was going through a bad patch, both with the willow and on the personal front. He was finding runs difficult to come by and appeared to have lost the touch and confidence that made connoisseurs of the sport wax eloquent about his strokes on the off side. Rumours were also abuzz about his “dalliance” with a heroine from the South Indian movie world. He looked very harried and troubled before the start of the series against Australia.

Thus, the team badly needed a victory against a major cricketing power to restore their standing in the public eye. Australia did not appear to be in any mood to oblige the hosts as they made mincemeat of them in the first Test at Mumbai, winning the match within three days by a margin of 10 wickets. The only Indian batsman who could put up a semblance of resistance before the Aussie juggernaut was Tendulkar, who came up with half-centuries in both innings.

India made three changes in their playing eleven when the action shifted to Kolkata. Ironically, all these were in bowling, with Zaheer Khan, Venkatesh Prasad and Venkatapathy Raju replacing Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar and Rahul Sanghvi.

Helped by a hat-trick by Harbhajan Singh, the bowling unit held their own against the Aussie batsmen and restricted them to 291 runs for 8 wickets, when stumps were drawn at the close of play on the first day. But Waugh seized the initiative on day two and struck a superb century to take his side to a total of 445. Jason Gillespie gave him excellent support during the 133-run stand for the ninth wicket that helped the side cross the 400-mark.

In reply, the Indian batting collapsed as Glen McGrath, Gillespie, Shane Warne and Michael Kasprowicz ran through the line-up, picking up wickets almost at will. The scoreboard read 128 for 8 wickets when play closed on the second day, with VVS Laxman batting on 26. On the third day, the Indian first innings total was taken to 171, thanks to Laxman, who top-scored with 59. Waugh, certain of a victory, enforced the follow on. India fared better in the second innings, but when Tendulkar was dismissed for 10, with the total at 115, it seemed that India was on the brink of another defeat.

Meanwhile, Laxman, who was promoted in the order to the crucial No 3 position, was batting like a dream. Ganguly stuck around for some time in his company but was dismissed just when he was getting into his stride. This brought Rahul Dravid to the crease, with the total at 232 and the side still 42 runs away from wiping away the deficit in the first innings.

The story of the 376-run fifth-wicket stand between Laxman and Dravid, when they batted through the whole of the fourth day, battling not only the Aussie bowlers, but also extreme heat, exhaustion, dehydration and severe physical discomfort, has been told and retold many times. The tide slowly turned in India's favour as the batsmen ground the Aussie attack to dust. Waugh tried as many as nine bowlers, but none could make any impact on the duo. Laxman crossed his double hundred while Dravid completed his century, but by then, personal achievements had paled into insignificance. When stumps were drawn on day four (14 March 2001), the scoreboard read 389 runs for 4 wickets, showing that India had scored 335 runs on this fateful day without losing a wicket, as the side slowly wrested control of the game from the Aussies.

Both these cricketers were also facing huge personal problems when they came together to form this partnership. Laxman had not cemented his place in the side, even though more than two years had passed since his entry into Test cricket and despite playing one outstanding knock against the Aussies at Sydney in early 2000. Besides, he faced a rare difficulty before the commencement of this Test. A couple of days before the game, it was found that he was “listing”, with the upper half of his body out of synch with the lower half, due to a slipped disc. Fortunately, Andrew Leipus, the physio, worked on him and ensured that he was fit to play this match.

Dravid, on the other hand, was going through a phase where runs refused to flow from his willow. He was facing immense criticism from the media on this score, as his inability to get going at the No. 3 position was cited as the reason India was unable to seize the initiative from the bowlers on the opposing side. In addition, he was also not at his best physically, due to an attack of viral fever.

Thus, it can be seen that the two batsmen who scripted this magnificent turnaround in the fortunes of Indian cricket were not in the best of physical condition and were also facing issues due to poor form. But they stuck together and played the innings of their lives, lifting India out of the morass of despair and despondency into which the side was fast sinking.

The enormity of the effort that these two brilliant yet self-effacing cricketers put in to save their side from defeat and humiliation struck a chord throughout the country. All the fears, apprehensions, and concerns that had plagued the minds of fans of the game about the players' commitment and credibility vanished that day and have not resurfaced since. Such was the impact of this duo's awesome performance on the psyche of cricket lovers across the country.

For the record, India won the Test by 171 runs. Set a last innings target of 384 runs, Australia crumbled for 212, with Harbhajan Singh again being the wrecker in chief with a haul of six wickets. It was a magnificent comeback by the home side that had been pummelled into submission during the first Test and till the third day of this game, but rose splendidly following the lead provided by Laxman and Dravid.

The final Test of this series at Chennai remains one of the most exciting matches played in India, with the hosts squeaking home by a narrow margin of 2 wickets. Both sides played positive cricket that kept the spectators enthralled, and though India won the match and the series, the visitors returned with their respect and pride intact. Waugh’s dream of winning a series in India was not fulfilled, as his side failed to conquer the 'final frontier'.

Though a quarter of a century has gone by since this Test was played, memories of the humongous innings by Laxman and Dravid when they systematically took down the mighty Aussie juggernaut remain fresh in the minds of followers of the game. March 14, 2001, will forever remain a red-letter day in the history of Indian Test cricket.