SK Flashback: India beat Australia to win 2001 Border-Gavaskar series
Probably the greatest Test series India have won in recent memory, the 2001 Border-Gavaskar series will be a memorable one for Indian fans for many reasons.
Firstly, it was one of those rare occasions when India were underdogs on home soil. They were expected to roll over and lose against a marauding Australian team, Steve Waugh’s ‘Invincibles’, which was on a world record winning streak.
Secondly, India came back in the series from the dead to not only end Australia’s 16-match winning streak but also start a new era of dominance for Indian cricket in Test whites, a phase that saw them succeed at home and away consistently for nearly a decade.
Lastly, India found unlikely heroes each time, be it Sameer Dighe, in the third and final Test, VVS Laxman in the second Test in a career-defining innings, and a rookie off-spinner in Harbhajan Singh with the ball, or a sturdy opener in SS Das.
On this day, India defeated Australia in the third and final Test at Chepauk Stadium, by two wickets to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting a new era of India-Australia rivalry.
Prologue
Before the series, there was plenty of verbal jousting between Steve Waugh and Sourav Ganguly, the latter, never a man to mince his words or to take a backward step. He aimed a barb at the visiting team and said that their winning streak was against weaker teams, it was also true India didn’t have a great time during their series Down Under prior to that.
The Australian team boasted of their finest lineup, which included Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer, the Waugh Brothers, Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and a bowling combination that included McGrath, Gillespie and Shane Warne.
On the other side was an Indian team with new faces like Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan, an unstable opening pair and the absence of a quality pace bowling attack. Sample this – India tried out five different spinners and four new ball bowlers in the series (one of them being Sourav Ganguly himself, in the third Test alongside a young Zaheer Khan).