Hope and miracles are the outcomes of despair, and they are only believable if courage takes the front seat. On 14 March 2001, one of the extraordinary moments happened in the form of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid’s partnership against Australia at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. This legendary 376-run partnership laid the path for one of the most famous Test wins of all time.
Losing the first test of the series made the Indian team face an early setback, and with a mammoth first innings of 445 by Australia, India was bowled out just for 171. It seemed an easy win for Australia and a challenge for India. But what followed was a miracle that remains fresh in the memories even after 25 years later.
The VVS Laxman-Rahul Dravid partnership that changed everything
The moment VVS Laxman made his entry, alongside Rahul Dravid in the crease on Day 4, the scenario for India was quite in shambles at 254 for 3 in their second innings, still trailing by 20 runs.
The Australians, led by Steve Waugh, believed they could finish the innings shortly in the morning. However, the day was remarkable and showcased a batting performance that stunned the Australians. The Laxman-Dravid The pair started building up a partnership that would go down in the annals of history as one of the greatest battles of Test cricket, with the team almost facing the prospect of losing the match.
The numbers that followed were never seen before in Indian cricket. India lost no wicket on Day 4, with Laxman and Dravid completely demoralizing the Australian bowlers with their tremendous patience and beautiful play. The pair translated the relaxation of the game to a 376-run partnership, thus turning the course of the match.
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VVS Laxman entered the history books with an unbeaten 275, the highest ever scored by an Indian in Test cricket at that point and a record that Virender Sehwag broke later on. Rahul Dravid added to his score with a score of an unbeaten 155, which was a perfect expression of his well-known resilience and technique. The duo added 355 runs on Day 4, extending their partnership to an unbeaten 357, the highest for the fifth wicket in Indian cricket.
MARCH 14, 2001 – AUSTRALIA FAILED TO GET A SINGLE WICKET IN EDEN GARDENS 🤯
VVS Laxman – 275*
Rahul Dravid – 155*India scored 335 runs in a single day – One of the most historic days in Indian Test history. 🇮🇳 pi.wte.oh/CAw9J
—Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) Mrh1,22
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