India vs Australia: Laxman and Dravid at Kolkata, 2001
Steve Waugh’s Australians had won 16 Tests in a row. In Kolkata they made India follow on 274 runs behind, and lost.
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Match facts
| Competition | Border-Gavaskar Trophy, second Test |
|---|---|
| Date | 11 to 15 March 2001 |
| Venue | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Result | India won by 171 runs, after following on |
The story of the match
Australia made 445 in their first innings, despite Harbhajan Singh taking India’s first Test hat-trick, and bowled India out for 171. Waugh enforced the follow-on.
VVS Laxman, promoted to number three, made 281 and Rahul Dravid 180. They batted through the whole of the fourth day, adding 376, and India declared on 657 for 7. On the final day Harbhajan took six more wickets and Sachin Tendulkar three with his part-time spin, and Australia were bowled out for 212.
Key moments to watch for
- Harbhajan’s hat-trick on the first day
- India follow on 274 behind
- Laxman and Dravid bat through the fourth day
- Laxman’s 281
- Harbhajan and Tendulkar bowl India to victory
Why it’s one of the greatest cricket matches ever
India became only the third team to win a Test after following on, and the win ended Australia’s run of 16 straight victories. Laxman’s 281 is often named the greatest innings by an Indian batter.
More classic cricket matches
- Sri Lanka vs Australia: Aravinda de Silva and the 1996 World Cup Final
- Pakistan vs India: The 10-Wicket Win, 2021 T20 World Cup
- New Zealand vs South Africa: Grant Elliott’s Six, 2015 World Cup Semi-Final
See all 40 on our list of the greatest matches ever, or catch up on this season on the latest highlights page.
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