Memorable Test innings by each of the 'Fab Five' of Indian Cricket

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The Fab-Five of Indian batting

Following the match-fixing saga, Indian cricket was at crossroads at the turn of the twentieth century. Various names including star batsman, Mohammed Azharuddin, was dragged into the controversy, putting the credibility of their favourite stars and most importantly of the game of cricket in jeopardy.

The onus was on four men, relatively young in age but with a plethora of experience between them, to resurrect the image of Indian cricket and bring fans back to them. Those four men were Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and the very very special VVS Laxman. Ganguly's aggression, Tendulkar's finesse, Laxman's wrists, and Dravid's perseverance met with the ruthlessness of Virender Sehwag to script India's resurgence with a plethora of series and match-defining innings.

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sachin Tendulkar's breathtaking assault on Shane Warne and the Aussies, let us go down memory lane to list down some of the best Test innings played by the Fab Five over the course of their magnanimous careers.

#5 Virender Sehwag, vs England, Chennai 2008 (83 off 65 balls)

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Sehwag's assault paved the way for the shenanigans of middle-order to take over

Now, a lot of people will have their reprehensions against the choice of the innings, especially since the batsman in question has scored breathtaking triple hundreds and a plethora of double hundreds.It is purely on the basis of the context of the game that Sehwag's brutal 83 against England in the evening session of the Chepauk Test on Day 4 in 2008 ranks as one of his best.

Such was the psychological effect of Sehwag's assault on the English bowlers that, England, after having dominated the Test for a better part of four days went on to lose the Test match.After requiring 387 runs to win, the English bowlers were taken aback by the breathtaking assault unleashed by Sehwag.

He cut and pulled with ferocious ease and knocked off a significant amount of runs from the target to pave the way for the shenanigans of Tendulkar (100 not out) and Yuvraj Singh to take over as India pulled off a thrilling run-chase with six wickets to spare.

#4 Sourav Ganguly, vs Australia, Brisbane 2003 (144 off 260 balls)

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Ganguly's 144 was the cornerstone for the success of the 2003-04 tour

The first Test of an overseas sojourn is always important. Hence, pre-series preparation leading up to the Test match play a massive part. India's captain Sourav Ganguly, abiding by the aforementioned fact went to Australia early in a bid to acclimatize to the hostile pitches, that was to be dished out to his team, especially at the Gabba. Ganguly did exactly that by travelling down under one month prior to the 4-match series and even took tips from Greg Chappell.

India, in reply to Australia's 323 in the first innings, was on tenterhooks at 4-66 when Ganguly produced one of the finest knocks the Gabba had ever witnessed. Initially peppered with the short balls by the likes of Jason Gillespie and Andy Bichel, Ganguly came into his own with some delightful square cut and drives. Soon, the Gabba was lit up by the class and precision of the Indian captain as he pulled and hooked on a lively track with ease.

He was particularly severe on McGill as he carted the leg-spinner all around the ground, forcing Steve Waugh to bring on part-timer Simon Katich. And finally, the moment that Ganguly had been waiting for - an elusive ton in Australia, arrived in the 71st over of the match.

The Prince of Kolkata swept McGill and with the second run, he completed a series defining hundred. Ganguly's 144 not only helped India draw the Test match but also let the shenanigans of the middle order take over in the succeeding games as India achieved a 1-1 draw, which was unthinkable before the start of the series.

#3 Sachin Tendulkar, vs Pakistan, Chennai 1999 (136 off 273 balls)

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A heartbreak of magnanimous proportions for the Master

For an ardent Indian cricket fan who grew up in the 90s, Sachin Tendulkar's 136 on a raging turner against the rampaging Pakistani attack bore a bitter-sweet memory.

After Tendulkar's debut in 1989, the India vs Pakistan rivalry was restricted to tri-nation tournaments, normally held in Sharjah, and the global ICC events. In the January of 1999, India hosted Pakistan for a two-match Test series with the first match scheduled at the Chepauk in Chennai.

Pakistan had set India 271 runs in the fourth Innings to win the game and at 5/82, it didn't look like India would get anywhere close to the target. However, the Pakistani attack ran into the Master Blaster who stood his ground in a bid to pull off the improbable whilst showing glimpses of his greatness.

Tendulkar's single-handed effort on a wearing fifth day Chennai track was a stuff of genius and perfection. Severely hampered by a back spasm, Tendulkar's innings epitomized his perseverance, skills, temperament, and more importantly, the will to win in all situations. Tendulkar did his job that day, leaving just 17 runs to get when he finally got out only to see his teammates squander the advantage in an insipid display of temperament.

It was a game of blood and tears, perhaps the greatest innings and the saddest tragedy of Sachin Tendulkar's career.

#2 Rahul Dravid, vs Australia, Adelaide 2003 (233 off 446 balls)

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Dravid's tryst with greatness at the Adelaide Oval

Next in the list is the cricketer whose demeanour and persistence to bat out the ugly spells earned his nickname as 'The Wall' - Rahul Dravid.

In a glittering career that spanned over sixteen years, Dravid played a plethora of memorable innings that are pinned into the corridors of the cricketing folklore forever. However, his finest hour in international cricket came at the Adelaide Oval in the Border Gavaskar Trophy of 2003-04. India had been reduced to 4-85 in response to Australia's 556. When Rahul Dravid decided to matters in his hands, what ensued was a marathon knock of 233 that spanned over eight hours.

Dravid had endured a torrid tour down under the last time he was there, and post that he'd approached Aussie captain Steve Waugh on mental toughness in a bid to get an extra edge,and when he square-cut McGill to bring up the win for India on Australian soil after 22 years, his journey towards achieving that extra edge was complete.

#1 VVS Laxman, vs Australia, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (281 off 452 balls)

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His 281 is a part of a folklore

At No. 1 comes an innings that changed Indian cricket forever. India had been beaten inside three days in the first Test in Mumbai and looked set to lose the second encounter at the Eden Gardens as well when they were asked to follow on by Steve Waugh after having been bowled out for 171 in response to Australia's 445. Laxman batted at No.6 in the first innings and looked the only batsman comfortable against Warne.

His 50 in the first innings earned him a promotion to the No. 3 spot in the follow-up innings. India started steadily with openers Das and Ramesh putting up a 50 run stand. However, Australia kept chipping away with wickets and when Sourav Ganguly was out in the closing moments of Day 3 with the score reading 232, Steve Waugh's team knew they were a wicket away from conquering the 'Final-Frontier' (as referred to by Waugh before the series).

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Dravid and Laxman weave magic at the Eden Gardens

However, the wicket never arrived. In a breathtaking and exhilarating display of grit, passion, perseverance and the will to succeed, the duo of Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) pulverized the Aussies into submission as they batted right through the fourth day. It was batsmanship of Brobdingnagian quality, one that compelled the opposition to admire irrespective of the situation of the game

Laxman went on surpassing Sunil Gavaskar's (236) record of the highest individual score for an Indian batsman and when he was finally out on Day 5 on 281, he, along with Dravid, had put India in a position of strength. Having set Australia an improbable target of 373 runs to win, the Indian bowlers proceeded to bowl Australia out for 212, scripting one of the most memorable Test wins for India, only the third instance of a team winning after being asked to follow-on.

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Edited by Rajdeep Puri