SK Flashback: VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid script an epic at Eden Gardens

A VVS masterclass

Laxman cut through the Australian bowling like a knife through butter

Both the batsmen were batting at unusual positions. The reason for this swap of positions wasn’t hard to guess though. While Laxman had appeared to be in sublime touch during his composed half-century in the first innings, Dravid had been dealing with his demons for quite a while now.

Prior to the inning, Dravid had scored only 73 runs in three innings in the series at an agonizing strike-rate of 17.9. His first innings at the Eden had lasted for 115 minutes, and he had never managed to cross 30. On the other hand, Laxman had seemed to be batting on a completely different surface during his 83-ball 59. The next highest score in that innings was less than half of his score – 25.

Once Laxman had walked into the middle, shouldering the responsibility of leading an improbable turnaround for the team in the second innings, one could almost sense the determination behind those steely eyes. Whether that would be enough against a line-up consisting of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, Michael Kasprowicz and Shane Warne was the lingering question, come Day 4.

Laxman had already scored his century, but this time, India needed him to do a lot more. With Dravid holding fort at the other end, Laxman embarked on a journey that would easily find a place in any list of the greatest comebacks of all time.

Halfway into the first session, India had moved beyond 300. Laxman was crafting a very special innings with the skills of an artist and the precision of a surgeon. He dared to take leaps of faith when the opportunity arose, and fortune favoured him, because who likes to cut short a piece of poetic brilliance in progress?

Laxman was unbeaten on 171 as the players walked out for lunch. By tea, he completed his double hundred and took India beyond the 400-run mark. Waugh tried everything and everyone – as many as nine Australians rolled their arms at Laxman. The latter was not only difficult to break, he was invincible.

He danced down the track to Warne, cleared him over the extra cover fence, drove the ball past midwicket, and drowned the Australians’ hopes slowly but surely. It was a fantastic display of poised strokeplay and unbelievable wristwork. In no time, he crossed Sunil Gavaskar’s record of 236 runs and then went on to become the first Indian ever to score 250 in an innings.