Published on: Mar 14, 2020 3:06 pm IST|Updated on: Mar 16, 2020 2:51 pm IST
On this day in 2001, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid walked out to bat at the Eden Gardens on a humid March morning. The history was re-written that day and it marked one of the greatest comebacks cricket has ever witnessed. After being routed by 10 wickets within 3 days in the first test of the series at Mumbai, India came back to win the series 2-1.
A statistical round up of the glorious day and series in Indian Cricket:
8: It was the 8th instance of a side coming back to win the series after losing the first test of a 3 match series and a first time for India.
India winning a series after losing the 1st Test:
vs England, 1972 (Home) vs Australia, 2001 (Home)* vs Sri Lanka, 2015 (Away) vs Australia, 2017 (Home)
3: India became the 3rd team to win a test after following on.
Teams winning after following-on:
Eng v Aus, Sydney, 1894 (by 10 runs) Eng v Aus, Leeds, 1981 (by 18 runs) IND v AUS, Kolkata, 2001* (by 171 runs)
Double centuries while following-on in tests:
337 – Hanif Mohammed v WI, Bridgetown 1958 281 – VVS Laxman v AUS, Kolkata 2001* 275 – Gary Kirsten v ENG, Durban 1999 237 – Saleem Malik v AUS, Rawalpindi 1994 232* – Andy Flower v IND, Nagpur 2000 218 – Darren Bravo v NZ, Dunedin 2013 200 – Dilip Sardesai v NZ, Mumbai (BS) 1965
Highest test score by Indians
319 V Sehwag v SA, Chennai 2008 309 V Sehwag v PAK, Multan 2004 303* K Nair v ENG, Chennai 2016 293 V Sehwag v SL, Mumbai (BS) 2009 281 VVS Laxman v AUS, Kolkata 2001
3: The pair batted through the whole day and was the third Indian pair to do so in tests
Indians batting throughout the day:
V Mankad & P Roy vs NZ, Madras (CS) 1956 G Vishwanath & Y Sharma vs Eng, Chennai (MAC) 1982 R Dravid & VVS Laxman vs AUS, Kolkata 2001
Highest partnership in Tests batting 5 or below:
405 D Bradman & S Barnes v Eng, Sydney 1946 399 B Stokes & J Bairstow v SA, Cape Town 2016 385 S Waugh & G Blewett v SA, Johannesburg 1997 376 VVS Laxman & R Dravid v AUS, Kolkata 2001
Highest Stand for INDIA in Tests
413 P Roy / V Mankad v NZ, 1956 Chennai 410 R Dravid / V Sehwag v PAK, 2006 Lahore 376 R Dravid / VVS Laxman v AUS, 2001 Kolkata
Highest Partnership vs Aus in Tests
382 L Hutton & M Leyland, The Oval 1928 376 VVS Laxman & R Dravid, Kolkata 2001 370 C Pujara & M Vijay, Hyderabad 2013 353 S Tendulkar & VVS Laxman, Sydney 2004
Highest score against Australia in 3rd or 4th innings
281 VVS Laxman, 2001 Kolkata 237 S Malik, 1994 Rawalpindi 235* A Cook, 2010 Brisbane
16: India ended Australia’s world record 16 consecutive test wins in 2001, Kolkata
Most consecutive test victories
16 Australia (14 Oct 1999 – 27 Feb 2001) – ended by India 16 Australia (26 Dec 2005 – 02 Jan 2008) – ended by India 11 West Indies (30 Mar 1984 – 07 Dec 1984)
Highest Individual Score at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Test)
281 VVS LAXMAN, 2001 256 R Kanhai, 1958 202 W Jaffer, 2007 190 A Cook, 2012
Most number of bowlers used by Australia in an innings
11 v Pakistan, Faisalabad, 1980 10 v Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 1994 9 v India, Kolkata 2001
India's Greatest Test Innings?Promoted to number 3, scored a brilliant 59 in the first innings then came to score magnificent 281 while following on – the highest test score by an Indian at that time.pic.twitter.com/GkKoQkUoRZ https://t.co/cwgOXbV9Nz— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) March 14, 2020
India's Greatest Test Innings?
Promoted to number 3, scored a brilliant 59 in the first innings then came to score magnificent 281 while following on – the highest test score by an Indian at that time.pic.twitter.com/GkKoQkUoRZ https://t.co/cwgOXbV9Nz
— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) March 14, 2020