Laxman and Dravid changed the fate of Indian cricket: Sadagoppan Ramesh recalls 2001 miracle at Eden Gardens

We came to Kolkata after the demoralising loss in Mumbai, where we were beaten by 10 wickets. Obviously, morale was low, and the defeat was hurting us. We had to bounce back. After the first innings (171 all out), it seemed like a distant dream. How could we tame the mighty Australians? But V.V.S (Laxman) and Rahul (Dravid) showed us the way.

A miracle happened at Eden Gardens. The way Dravid and Laxman started batting on the third day and carried on the next was enthralling. But we never thought the match would end up our way. We realised the Australians were dropping their shoulders and getting frustrated. And then they panicked when put under pressure.

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Laxman and Dravid became the positive energy we needed. It was contagious, and the dressing room was transformed into something beyond imagination. The team believed in itself, and the boys backed each other. We felt we had an outside chance because the pitch was helping the spinners. Australia were mentally defeated because they never expected to bat again after enforcing the follow-on.

In fact, they were in a celebratory mood at the end of the third day. Their body language reflected their confidence. But they ran into Laxman and Dravid. As the day wore on, their bowlers began to tire and lost the bite to hurt us. The Aussies were not used to being on the back foot. We had nothing to lose and had to show aggression in the second innings. We gave it everything.

I played a small part but was delighted to have the time of my life in that Test match. And then came Bhajji’s (Harbhajan Singh) hat-trick. When Shane Warne came in to bat, I knew from watching him that he tended to shuffle across. The ball was turning sharply, and I was ready in anticipation. I stood a little finer than I had for the previous deliveries and moved slightly to my right. No one had told me to move. It was my decision. The bowler and the captain were not aware of it. I had my own plan, and it was thrilling when the ball landed in my palms. Warne had played into my trap. It was one of those catches you feel proud to take, becoming part of a historic moment. By the way, Bhajji promised me dinner for that hat-trick catch. I have not got it yet, though.

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It was part of our plan to be aggressive in the second innings — to hit boundaries and put pressure on the bowlers. But Warne was a lethal bowler. He got me with a flipper even as I tried to defend. It took the edge. There was a good gap between (Adam) Gilchrist and Mark Waugh, and I was stunned to see Mark take that catch. My god, anyone else and the ball would have gone to the boundary. India needed a good start. We had one, and then Laxman and Dravid took over.

I think Laxman and Dravid changed the fate of Indian cricket. The team grew in confidence and went on to win the following Test at Chepauk, where I was happy to score a fifty. In Chennai, the Steve Waugh dismissal (for handling the ball) played a significant role. From 340 for four, Australia were all out for 391. Laxman, Dravid and Sachin then built the innings, and Australia could not escape Bhajji’s guile. It was a memorable phase for Indian cricket.