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.

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#1 Miracle at Eden (India vs Australia, 2nd Test - March, 2001)

VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid took their game to another level to douse the Australian fire

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.

#2 India vs Australia, 3rd Test - March, 2001

Sachin Tendulkar scored 126 in Chennai to give India the advantage (Pic Courtesy: Getty Images)

The very next match of the 2000-01 Border-Gavaskar Trophy shattered Waugh’s dreams of conquering the ‘final frontier’ – the name he used to describe that India tour.

The improbable victory in Kolkata had added an unbridled sense of confidence to the Indian side, which was learning to fight fire with fire. The Australians, even after scoring 391 in the first innings, couldn’t dampen the spirits of Ganguly’s men as Tendulkar’s century powered the hosts to 501 in reply.

Then it was all Harbhajan territory as he backed up the seven wickets from first innings with an 8-for in the second. The Aussies were found wanting on the turning Chepauk track and their pride had already bitten the dust.

Needing 155 to win, India lost eight wickets, but little contributions here and there were enough to send the Aussies home with heavy hearts.

#3 India vs England, 3rd Test - August, 2002

Sourav Ganguly scored a quick-fire century at Leeds (Pic Courtesy: Getty Images)

India hadn’t won a Test match in England for 16 long years, and then found themselves 1-0 down in the four-match series. What followed next can easily be termed as the best outing Indian cricket's 'holy trinity' have had together.

Dravid (148), Tendulkar (193) and Ganguly (128), all scored centuries in the first innings at Leeds to post a mammoth score of 628. Such was their domination that the hosts looked like mere spectators for the better part of the match.

England never really recovered from the shock, and pressure of runs did them in. They were bundled out for 273 in the first innings, were asked to follow-on but fortunes didn’t change as they were dispatched for 309 in the second.

An innings and 46-run win helped India level the series. The last match at the Oval ended in a draw, and the visitors went back home satisfied.

#4 India vs Australia, 2nd Test - December 2003

Rahul Dravid's double century and VVS Laxman's ton ensured that India were up for the challenge (Pic Courtesy: Getty Images)

After the historic 2000-01 series, India travelled Down Under and this was Australia’s time for revenge. However, Ganguly’s men drew first blood at Adelaide after a spirited performance in the opening game at Brisbane.

This match had an uncanny reference to the Eden Test as India were again smarting from a huge first innings total of 556, posted by the Aussies, and struggling at 85-4. Out came Laxman, joining Dravid at the crease and the rest, as they say, is history.

A partnership of 303 runs not only took India to safety but also ensured that the visitors only conceded 33 runs’ lead. Unlike the Kolkata game, this time Dravid was the main man with 233 runs to his name, while the Hyderabad lad played a supporting role scoring 148 runs.

Ajit Agarkar wreaked havoc during the second innings, taking six wickets as the Aussies only managed to set a target of 230 runs. Dravid, with a well made 72, again proved to be a thorn in the hosts’ flesh, guiding India to a Test win in Australia after almost 23 years.

#5 India vs Pakistan, 3rd Test - April, 2004

India earned their first Test series win on Pakistan soil in 2004 (Pic Courtesy: Getty Images)

The three-match series was locked at 1-1 going into the third and final Test, Indian fans weren’t sure whether their stars would be able to recreate the magic which they showcased in the first Test at Multan, but all questions were answered in an emphatic fashion as the visitors romped to an innings and 131-run victory to seal their first Test series triumph on the arch-rivals’ soil.

While Irfan Pathan, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Ashish Nehra outdid the Akhtars and Samis, Dravid took the responsibility upon himself to crush Pakistan’s hopes of a comeback after getting bundled out for 224 in the first innings.

He brought up his highest Test score of 270, while Laxman (71) and Ganguly (77) chipped in with vital contributions to take India’s first innings total to 600.

Needing 377 to make India bat again, Pakistan were torn apart by Anil Kumble and Balaji for 245, resulting in a historic series win which went a long way in turning the Indian team into a super power in the world of cricket.