Eden gardens 2001 : 25 years since a partnership changed the course of Indian cricket…. foerver….

There are moments in Indian cricket that are hard to forget. The more you remember them, the more goosebumps they give you. One such event was the test match in Kolkata in 2001. 25 years later, it still stands as one of Indian cricket’s watershed moments and still gives a bitter memory 

India lost the first test in Mumbai. Inside 3 days. Matthew Hayden was at the centre of this demolition job and Australia were looking for a record 17 consecutive test win under the talismanic Steve Waugh. And they played the game like that. They scored a massive 445 with hundreds from Steve Waugh and lower order contributions, especially for Jason Gillespie.

They then shot India out for 171 as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Micheal Kasprowicz and Shane Warne shared the 10 wickets between them and made the most expensive mistake in cricket history by enforcing the follow on as the lead by a massive 274 runs. 

VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid got together when India were 232/4 and stitched a partnership of a massive 376 runs. Laxman scored 281 and Dravid 180 and both of them grinded the Aussie arrogance to dust. India then set a massive target of 384 runs and the 5th day was the most iconic in Indian cricket history.

Harbhajan Singh, who had a magnificent series as a bowler picked up a hattrick in the second innings as he sent a packed Eden Gardens into a frenzy as Steve Waugh and co were stunned. One of the most under rated moments was Sachin Tendulkar picking up the wickets of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden as he vindicated Sourav Ganguly’s call of giving him just that ONE EVER.

As we celebrate its 25th anniversary, this moment in front of a capacity crowd at the Eden gardens will always be looked at nothing short of a modern marvel.