Watch: On This Day, A Very Very Special 2001 Kolkata Test

On this day in 2001, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid walked out to bat at the Eden Gardens on a humid March morning. The history was re-written that day and it marked one of the greatest comebacks cricket has ever witnessed. After being routed by 10 wickets within 3 days in the first test of the series at Mumbai, India came back to win the series 2-1.

A statistical round up of the glorious day and series in Indian Cricket:

8:  It was the 8th instance of a side coming back to win the series after losing the first test of a 3 match series and a first time for India.

India winning a series after losing the 1st Test:

vs England, 1972 (Home)
vs Australia, 2001 (Home)*
vs Sri Lanka, 2015 (Away)
vs Australia, 2017 (Home)

3: India became the 3rd team to win a test after following on.

Teams winning after following-on:

Eng v Aus, Sydney, 1894 (by 10 runs)
Eng v Aus, Leeds, 1981 (by 18 runs)
IND v AUS, Kolkata, 2001* (by 171 runs)

Double centuries while following-on in tests:

337 – Hanif Mohammed v WI, Bridgetown 1958
281 – VVS Laxman v AUS, Kolkata 2001*
275 – Gary Kirsten v ENG, Durban 1999
237 – Saleem Malik v AUS, Rawalpindi 1994
232* – Andy Flower v IND, Nagpur 2000
218 – Darren Bravo v NZ, Dunedin 2013
200 – Dilip Sardesai v NZ, Mumbai (BS) 1965

Highest test score by Indians

319 V Sehwag v SA, Chennai 2008
309  V Sehwag v PAK, Multan 2004
303* K Nair v ENG, Chennai 2016
293 V Sehwag v SL, Mumbai (BS) 2009
281 VVS Laxman v AUS, Kolkata 2001

3: The pair batted through the whole day and was the third Indian pair to do so in tests

Indians batting throughout the day:

V Mankad & P Roy vs NZ, Madras (CS) 1956
G Vishwanath & Y Sharma vs Eng, Chennai (MAC) 1982
R Dravid & VVS Laxman vs AUS, Kolkata 2001

Highest partnership in Tests batting 5 or below:

405 D Bradman & S Barnes v Eng, Sydney 1946
399 B Stokes & J Bairstow v SA, Cape Town 2016
385 S Waugh & G Blewett v SA, Johannesburg 1997
376 VVS Laxman & R Dravid v AUS, Kolkata 2001

Highest Stand for INDIA in Tests

413 P Roy / V Mankad v NZ, 1956 Chennai
410 R Dravid / V Sehwag v PAK, 2006 Lahore
376 R Dravid / VVS Laxman v AUS, 2001 Kolkata

Highest Partnership vs Aus in Tests

382 L Hutton & M Leyland, The Oval 1928
376 VVS Laxman & R Dravid, Kolkata 2001
370 C Pujara & M Vijay, Hyderabad 2013
353 S Tendulkar & VVS Laxman, Sydney 2004

Highest score against Australia in 3^rd or 4^th innings

281 VVS Laxman, 2001 Kolkata
237 S Malik, 1994 Rawalpindi
235* A Cook, 2010 Brisbane

16: India ended Australia’s world record 16 consecutive test wins in 2001, Kolkata

Most consecutive test victories

16 Australia (14 Oct 1999 – 27 Feb 2001) – ended by India
16 Australia (26 Dec 2005 – 02 Jan 2008) – ended by India
11 West Indies (30 Mar 1984 – 07 Dec 1984)

Highest Individual Score at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Test)

281 VVS LAXMAN, 2001
256 R Kanhai, 1958
202 W Jaffer, 2007
190 A Cook, 2012

Most number of bowlers used by Australia in an innings

11 v Pakistan, Faisalabad, 1980
10 v Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 1994
9 v India, Kolkata 2001

WATCH Highlights of 2001 Kolkata Test

India's Greatest Test Innings?

Promoted to number 3, scored a brilliant 59 in the first innings then came to score magnificent 281 while following on – the highest test score by an Indian at that time.pic.twitter.com/GkKoQkUoRZ https://t.co/cwgOXbV9Nz

— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) March 14, 2020