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 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.

This was the comeback the Indian team needed. On Day 5, India eventually declared 657 for 7, and in the final innings, Harbhajan Singh wove his magic and tore apart the Australian lineup with six wickets. India won the Test by 171 runs, a remarkable victory, which is still remembered after ages.

The victory stunned not just the cricket world but also the Indian team. Hemang Badani, who played his part as a substitue fielder in the Kolkata Test, shared the story of how near they were to losing the match. “Not many people know that we had our bags ready at the end of day three. We were just supposed to board a cab from the ground to the airport. After that, the two just batted like magicians without losing a single wicket the entire day.”

That victory against the Australians in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and at that time, twenty-five years on, in a way, it felt like a celebration of the large event that cricket in the world carried that Test match. Sitting next to Dravid, Laxman filled up memories and confidences of their game-changing combo, as they called it themselves.

In an interview with The Times of India, Rahul Dravid recalled, “I’ve always really enjoyed batting alongside Laxman because, firstly, he’s a fantastic player and a great batsman to watch. So you’ve got a really good seat in the house,” Dravid said. “We’d communicate a little bit, but we’re not like out-and-out big talkers in the middle. That actually suited my game as well.”

Only a few teams in Test history have managed their way into a victory after being forced to follow on, such as India at Eden Gardens in 2001, England against Australia at Leeds in 1981, and again England against Australia at Sydney in 1894 and most recently in 2023 at Wellington, New Zealand against England.

'Annoying the Australians'

A landmark moment of the victory was that India did not just defeat any team; they defeated the mighty Australians, who were at their peak of dominance. The Australian bowling lineup consisted of some of the most formidable bowlers of all time: Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie. Facing such an attack under immense pressure was a true test of mental strength, as VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted through the entire day.

The atmosphere within Eden Gardens contributed to the emotional spectacle of the match as much as the match itself did. In addition to an incredible number of people who were witnessing a historic event and therefore were giving their full energy to the Indian team.

VVS Laxman has recalled the tremendous level of support given by both the dressing room and the fans at Eden Gardens during the match. "There was a great deal of energy both in the dressing room and around the ground," Laxman stated. "Players delivering water could bring back words of encouragement or messages to teammates. The fans were very vocal in support of the Indians. I believe at many times that fan support may have been a source of irritation to the Australians; however, to us, it was another example of support we received."

Laxman stated that he completely agreed with this view, emphasising the significance of defeating an Australian team as strong as they were at the time, while also having been forced to follow on in the test series.

“Beating them after being forced to follow on was huge,” Laxman said. “At that time, Australia were a really big team, and I think this gave us a sense of what we were capable of when we had to dig deep and have the belief in our abilities. This match was an important one for Indian cricket as it confirmed our belief that we can get ourselves out of extreme difficulty and still win a test match.”

25 years have passed on, yet this victory speaks volumes about the magnitude of courage and fearlessness in terms of the mindset of Indian cricket. If belief is real, yes, it was at Eden Gardens in 2001.