India's top 5 Test outings under Sourav Ganguly
The man who transformed into a quintessential leader, changed the face of Indian cricket at the turn of the century and announced to the world that his nation is no longer the sightseeing party and that they mean business, is better known as Sourav Ganguly.
He was the flag bearer of aggression, and taught youngsters how to look in the eyes of the intimidating opponents and fight tooth and nail till the very end. Soon victories were snatched from the jaws of defeats and new territories were conquered.
The team stopped depending on a handful of stars and became a super strong army, one in which every personnel could win you games on his own merit.
Ganguly’s success as a captain is highlighted by the way his men fought on overseas Test tours, but there are some equally amazing victories at home, which made Indians proud. We chose to go down memory lane to reminisce some of the extra-ordinary triumphs under the leadership of the Prince of Kolkata.
#1 Miracle at Eden (India vs Australia, 2nd Test - March, 2001)
This particular match needs no introduction and rightly so.
When a team becomes only the third side in the century-old history of the sport, to win a game after being asked to follow-on, the event deserves to be firmly etched in the memories of cricket aficionados.
March 11-15, 2001 – The five days which brought about a revolution in Indian cricket epitomised the fact that there’s always a tiny little space for a miracle in the gentleman’s game.
Down in the dumps after losing the first Test of the series in Mumbai, and fearing the possibility of surrendering before the world no. 1 team, the Indians rose from the ashes like a phoenix and knocked out the mighty Aussies, halting their streak of 16 consecutive Test wins in the process.
Reeling at 232-4 in the second innings on Day 3, still needing 43 to make the visitors bat again, two saviours in the form of VVS Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) played the innings of their lives to add 376 runs while staying unbeaten for the entire length of the fourth day.
A challenging declaration by Ganguly left Steve Waugh’s men to get 384 on the fifth. They took the bait and were spun out for 212 by Harbhajan Singh, the hat-trick hero of the first innings, and Sachin Tendulkar.
Unbelievable scenes followed at the Eden Gardens and the Indian team had to stay put at the stadium till night as the over joyous fans had created a roadblock outside the venue in Kolkata.