Remembering the Kolkata Test match: The Ides of Indian Cricket

The first officially recognised Test match began on 15 March 1877, between England & Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Exactly 124 years since that golden day in cricket history; while the sun was about to set in Kolkata, a historic test match between India & Australia came to an end in India’s own Mecca of Cricket - The Eden Gardens. It has been 15 years since that epic test match but a mere thought of that match gives me goosebumps.

“He has given him, he has given him. Umpire Bansal has given him. It’s the end of the test match. India have won in dramatic style. The whole of Bengal are on their feet” were the words of commentator late Tony Greg in his trademark captivating style. Well, Tony Greg could only see the people at the Eden Gardens, but the fact was that millions of cricket fans across India were on their feet.

It was not just a normal test victory. As one of the stars of the match VVS Laxman (who scored 281 in the second innings) said: “It was a miracle”. In 1535 Test matches played till then, it was only for the third time that a team had won a test match after being asked to follow-on. And it has been close to 700 test matches since then but the feat has not been repeated.

The Match

The match was nothing short of a Bollywood blockbuster; it had emotion, drama & suspense. Riding on skipper Steve Waugh’s century, Australia had scored 445 runs in their first innings. In reply, the Indians were bowled out for just 171 runs and were asked to follow-on by Steve Waugh. India who had a relatively better start in the second innings ended Day 3 of the match at 254 runs for the loss of 4 wickets.

Many years later, Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly revealed that his mother-in-law who had come to visit him at the team hotel at the end of Day 3 had told him that India will win this match. Now with two days left in the match and the fact that India were still 20 runs behind Australia, even India’s staunchest supporter would not have given them a chance of survival. So, back then Ganguly knew that it was only a mother’s heart which was speaking and no cricket logic hinted towards an Indian victory.

Miraculous Day 4

Laxman and Dravid added 335 runs on day 4 of the Test match

It was on the fourth day, when what Laxman called as “miracle” began. Together with Rahul Dravid (who scored 180), Laxman went on to bat for the entire day and in the process, the duo added 335 runs on Day 4. Yes, the runs were just by-products of their astonishing act. India finally declared at 657 runs for the loss of 7 wickets, setting Australia with a target of 384 runs in about 75 overs.

Now, the Indians were out of danger but still an Indian victory seemed out of the question. At 166 for the loss of 3 wickets, Australia looked well on course to draw the match. However, Harbhajan Singh who had taken a hat-trick in the first innings of the match and Sachin Tendulkar had other plans. Between them, the two took the remaining seven wickets in less than 25 overs and the Australians were bundled out for 212 runs.

A turning point in the history of Indian Cricket

India had won the match by 171 runs, the exact amount of runs that they had scored in the first innings. Ganguly who regards this match as special has many times said that this match changed Indian cricket. Another star of that match Dravid put it more subtly when he said “The foundation (of a formidable team) was laid, but it’s not that we became brilliant overnight. The process, however, started at the Eden.”

The death of Julius Caesar is regarded as a turning point in Roman history as it is one of the events that marked the transition from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. Similarly, the Kolkata Test of 2001 will be remembered as a turning point in India’s cricket history.

Caesar is believed to have been assassinated on what is known as The Ides of March. Coincidentally, this day on the Roman calendar corresponds to March 15th, the same day on which this epic test match had come to an end. So, to sum it up this match can be called as “The Ides of Indian cricket”; a reference point for other important events in Indian cricket.