How Laxman's 281 at Eden Garden Changed Cricket (6/25) 

Honestly, this was THE test match of the last decade. There was soo much drama... A hat-trick, a follow on, a mind boggling partnership against some of the best bowling squad you'll ever come across and then folding a legendary team within 2 sessions on the last day breaking their 15 match win streak. It doesn't get better than that. That was Test cricket at its best.

1 Lakh people in a test match in Kolkata in that heat . Golden days of cricket

It's amazing how Mr. Dravid gives credit to Bhajji and say's he won the match for them and credits others but stays ever so humble and selfless. A true gentleman and one of the greatest to have ever played the game. I take pride in being your fan and the Indian cricket team. Thank you for your contribution for the country on behalf of all the Indians.

As an Australian; Laxman's 281 would have to be the best innings I've seen because they were in a hopeless position. Laxman also did something similar in 2010 against Australia too. Australian's have always rated Laxman on part with Sachin and sometimes even higher!

Hey!! Laxman has spoken a gem of a truth at 2:07 !! It's really true that people remember those knocks from him and Dravid only bcoz India won the match! Really THE BITTER TRUTH!!

Dravid was ill,down with viral fever! to come out and play that marathon innings! speaks volumes about determination of that man

This match gave an entire generation hope. This is what made all of us the fighters we are today. Never forget!

That was the test match of the century . For me the best test match till date . I was in hostel where I could only hear the commentary . From Teachers to students everyone was only asking "are they still batting ??"(Dravid-laxhman) .

Laxman , Dravid were heroes of that match with bat and Harbhajan Singh was MVP in bowling in that match. He took 13 wickets in that match . Sachin failed to perform with bat but he took 3 wickets (including some big names) in that match. That was the best test match of the decade tbh.

As a 21 yr old, I still remember watching that match and at the end I was so fuckin happy that I pasted Laxman's and Dravid's poster all around my rented apartment, even in the bathroom. Those were the days. Great players in both teams playing tough cricket. Happy to be born in this era to witness some of the greatest of the game.

I lived in the US back then (well, I still do). I still have memories of calling my parents on the evening of the 4th day, and my father (who normally didn't follow sports) excitedly telling me "and, they batted the WHOLE day without anyone getting out" :-)

I remember this clearly. In a pub in London about a month later got into a debate with an Australian about cricket and I mentioned this match and he just went real quiet.

I was fortunate to watch that knock live on DD Sports on the 14th March.Believe me,I had my board exams on the 15th for which I was not very well prepared :p.I just thought,I would see the first few overs,by which I felt either of Dravid or Laxman would get out and expose the tail. How wrong I was!!!!They just went on and on and on.The one over in which Laxman hit Gillespie for 4 boundaries made me glued to the television the whole day and I literally forgot about my exams that was to be held next day :p.Somehow after the day got over,I did a quick revision and the exam went off OK.Golden days those were of our childhood.Believe me.I have been following Indian Cricket since 1995.This was the greatest ever Test series I have ever seen India take part in,even though they have routed the Aussies in subsequent Test Series at home.But THAT in 2001,was very very special since it came while following on with a huge deficit of 274 against an Australian team who was at their mesmerizing peak having won 15 test matches in a row and with a bowling attack having McGrath,Warne,Gillespie,Kasprowich.This victory was indeed the turning point of Indian Cricket.This is why I would rate Sourav Ganguly as the greatest Indian Captain EVER.

This video is recommended to me when Vihari And Ashwin stood up for India like the way Dravid and Laxman did. Hats Off to every cricket legend ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Greatest Test match ever.

Biggest turn-around in test history. Every captain made opposition teams follow-on instantly when it was available, they think thrice before doing it these days.

The golden era of Test cricket , The golden era of Australian cricket team and the dream team of India in cricket . Love that era and miss those iconic players 😢

Greatest innings of all time in such pressure situation.... VVS Laxman Gem of a Player.... Wish BCCI had given him a much deserved farewell match like Sachin !!

That Laxman innings is one of the greatest innings of all time, most definitely the best Indian Innings of all time.

I got pickpocketed on the way to day5 . I lost the tickets and has to be officially the worst day of my life !!

i was there in eden garden,,& my age was 14,,.the best days of indian cricket

Gandhi last words were he ram Ausies last words were he laxman

That Australia team was one of the greatest of all times. It was so good that I hated it and respected it the same time. The kind of dominance they had on cricket cannot be emulated again.

The tickets for all the 5 days were purchased by our Uncle. My cousin's went for the first 2days as I had my exams going on. I joined from the 3rd day around 1-1.30 ish in the afternoon. My school was at Park Street and I went to the stadium alone by public bus (my first time). I was 12 then...by the time the word got around on 4th day of a India fight back people started pouring in. But it was after tea that the Eden pitch played tricks. H.Singh and Sachin got almost 8 in total. Bansal was raising his finger on almost every lbw appeal while the English umpire turned down everything. Dada made bhajji change ends to get him.bowl from the end Bansal was standing. It was 110,000 people in the stadium..the match ended at 3.30-4pm. people had 🔥 torches in their hands. A random guy next to me ( he must have been in his 40s) said " you will never forget this day"

I feel incredibly lucky that I could witness this test match live. It was a time when my summer vacations were on and I watched cricket all the time. Because of this victory, Indians started believing that they could beat anyone from any situation. This victory revived hopes of the Indian cricket fans who had lost hopes from their cricketers because of some unfortunate things which happened in the late 1990’s. It was the start of something new. It happened 18 years back and it is, still, one of my proudest moments as an ardent Indian cricket fan. It changed the face of Indian cricket forever.

The greatest "coming back from behind " test win.

I'm from England and i will say that most non-indians respect Rahul Dravid more than any other indian cricketer. Tendulkar is certainly one the greatest batsmen of the game. But Mr.Dravid is a true gentleman, *the very personification of cricket* . Tendulkar is a master player in the game Dravid IS the game.

Those are the days when people had a love for test cricket. Golden days indeed!!!

Was there on day 5 watched it live. It was electric. No T20 can match up to that excitement.. \m/

I witnessed the wicketless 4th day. One of the best memories of my life.

I was in 4th standard. I lied to my teacher and came home to watch laksham and dravid! Amazing match. love you team India!

I was doing my Engineering away from home and the only way to watch the match was to stand along with a crowd of college mates at a small fast food dhaba nearby the college. Despite the pain of standing for almost all day, nobody wanted to go. We knew that we were watching something special. Watching Laxman's batting is such a delight. Even his defensive shot had such class.

Gave me goosebumps throughout the video. The best Indian side of all time.

And I still remember Tony Greig commenting " The whole of Bengal erupted"

For IPL lover indian Cricket Team change after 2007 T20 World Cup But real Cricket Lover Think everything Changed after This Match in Indian Cricket.

I owe my dad a lot to take me to eden gardens to watch the final 2 days of this amazing test match. I was just 9 years old & the outcome, drama of this test made me a cricket fan forever. These players became my childhood heroes.

'Australians are sporting' -VVS. Now that is something, that can be debated here in the comments. Great Knocks by the two real Gentlemen of cricket. Flamboyant and Elegant Sir VVS Laxman and Firm, rigid, temperamental Sir Rahul Dravid. I fell in sheer awe, by this feet. Turning the tables against Aussies and winning even after being forced to follow-on is absolutely sensational, heroic and marvellous. Poor Aussies could only regret their decision of imposing follow-on. The crowd played its part really well also.

Just Imagine that now if any player plays the same way to bring back the team from INNINGS BEHIND TO LEAD THE TEAM TO VICTORY how crazy the social media might go

i remember coming home from school and OMG laxman and dravid were still batting, it was a great sense of joy which i still remember.

A Test match is like a war n the sessions like battles. It's abt winning the key sessions, thereby winning the war. Judging by the current situation of test cricket, for me , this would be the best test cricket match of all times.

GREATEST INNINGS OF OUR LIFETIME...DON'T THINK WE WILL SEE ANOTHER INNINGS LIKE THAT...THE INNINGS THAT CHANGED INDIAN CRICKET...

One of the greatest cricket series of all time. Seriously underrated. The first Test was close until Gilchrist's counterattacking century killed the game. 2nd Test was arguably the greatest ever. But the 3rd Test is criminally underrated. It could so easily have been 1-2 instead of 2-1.

Congratulations to Laxman and Dravid for inspiring people to not just give up and keep fighting and Kudos to the Australian for applauding vvs Laxman knock

Australia may forget their all worlcup final winning match...but they will never forget this match

Just get goosebumps listening about this match... One of the landmark moment of Indian cricket ❤️

I saw it live. Eden Gardens and VVS' 281. I will cherish it all my life.

I come from very small village in India where cricket is barely watched by peoples esp in those days 2001, my uncle was very big cricket fan and I don't remember much things because I was 7 year old but I still remember he used to tell peoples about day 4 Laxman and dravid giant partnership . I also remember nobody took him so seriously as I think he was the only cricket lover in my village lol and when I grew up I finally realised why he was so happy all alone ..

Good 'ol days of DD National, DD Metro, DD Sports!

Why Ian chappal is always on the beach😂

Very very special inning from very very special batsman of India......vvs laxman

Dravid is not just former Indian batsman, He is Former Captain..

Rahul dravid is one of my all time favourites, what a gentleman. Love from Pakistan 🇵🇰.

That's not bad bowling, that's great footwork 😍😍

Laxman and Dravid made those runs against one of the best bowling of all times.

Laxman when he gets going, run flows. In Perth he made 280 odd runs and his strokes were classic . He is very elegant player like Dilip Venkasarkar, Azarudin . In Perth I think , is the best knock with full of pulls, cuts , hooks and drives. worth to watch.

It's true. The test match at Eden Gardens against Australia where we won after being asked to follow on, and then the NatWest final against England chasing 325 are two games that changed Indian cricket and made us believe that we can be the best in the world.

I was a kid watching this live on television and I remember the elation of beating Aussies from such a hopeless position, this has to be the best Test match ever!

That 4th day still gives me goosebumps. Literally.

The match that marked a new era in indian cricket from two players who defined their generation- against the best bowling attack of that era! players of such calibre are unreal! those who watched the match only can realise the gravity of that match!

That Eden test will remain forever in my mind. .. test cricket at it's best.. Dada u moulded the team from turmoil .. true inspiration for billions..

It was if we had won a World Cup. Hugs, High-Fives, Fireworks and Celebrations were all around for days and weeks. Laxman and Dravid lead from the front and Harbajan.

I still remember this match shouted with joy and excitement ...takes me back to my childhood

@0:09 secs.... It was captain Ganguly and not John wright who promoted Laxman up the order.

One of the best series I have witnessed. Perhaps the start of modern Indian cricket.

This knock gives true meaning what VVS stand for very very special... VV S for Wall stand still.

That was the genesis of Team India!!

Well done cricinfo for this program. My fav innigs are being considered in this. One of lara against and now VVS both against top bowling unit. Thanx cricinfo

I keep on watching it's clips even now . That's what you call a match .

One of the best comebacks in Test cricket ever!!

Ian Chappell always puts forward his analysis so clearly!!

Still remember the test and the series and loved both the test messages and love it's signification for the Indian Cricket Team in term of the confidence that this gave us and the way that Ganguli led the team to play and this led the foundation on which India is No. 1. test nation today in 2018-2019.

Goosebumps just listening to them talk about it.

The best of the best cricket played ever..

I was smiling througout the video. Such an awe inspiring tale.

That waa an Epic & Legendary match... Absolute Indian classic

I was given a chance to revisit the past, I would always choose to be in the eedin gardens on 14th march to vitness the marathon of VVS laxman and Rahul Dravid.

Eden Gardens - Calcutta, the best stadium in the world. Having the most sentimental yet supportive crowd!!

This was THE MATCH..amazing..

Am a big big fan of him , what makes him not selected for world cup squad, where is dinesh mongia now, laxman sir is an unsung hero

Probably the greatest Test Match I have ever heard of..This truly would have been the match the light the spark of Test Cricket craze in India...cause man what happened in the ground that day is truly unfathomable and special. That moment cannot be redone

Aussie blowing attack frestated and desperately did everything to break the partnership... I still remember kaspro doing a action of a eagle (strange action) in his run-up to divert laxmans concentration....

I don't know why I have tears in my eyes while watching this

I remember that match, my grandma had tickets for Eden gardens and still talks about it.

Best test innings ever

Dravid and Laxman.. definition of stability.. on and off the field

I watched this game live on Edens Garden and I still have great memories of it. One of the best experience of watching a match in the stadium.

I was at the ground in Eden Gardens.... Its was an iconic match... This was THE MATCH of the century..the legends playing each other..

This is a Beautiful narration. The words and music are making the climax afresh even though we know what had happened!

The best reply from team india.

legendary moments which inspired young cricketers like sehwag,yuvraj dhoni,virat and many more

I saw that match live on T.V it is the most epic test I have ever seen much better than Ashes!!!

Salute to rahul's modesty when he says you can bat all day but bowlers that day won us that match.

this must be the greatest innings top no 2 in world cricket after bradman 270 this innings against the best bowling attack comprising mcgrath warne gillespie i think no team would have played in there own backyard salim malik played an innings to save the test match 7 years prior this was match winning innings salute to very very special laxman

Best test match for at least India thus far in the modern era. VVS was one incredible cricketer.

I just get thrilled looking at the score card today cant even imagine how awesome was witnessing it. Sadly i started watching and understanding cricket in 2003 took 4 more years to understand test 😃.

Literally its once in decade match

THE greatest test match India has ever played and probably will ever play.

I could watch this match on repeat.

Tis match is epic.. greatest ever.ll stand forever

This match changed the way teams implement follow on. Such an impact this match had on the game overall.