- India vs Australia – Kolkata, 2001:
Arguably the greatest ever Test match in Indian cricket history, this match stands out for some individual performances that simply gives you goosebumps. Batting first, the Australians, led by Steve Waugh, were in disarray after a hat-trick from Harbhajan Singh had propelled India in a position of dominance. Nevertheless, Waugh added some priceless runs along with Jason Gillespie to get Australia to 445. India had a disastrous start as the Aussie bowlers were just ruthless. Barring a half-century from VVS Laxman, it was a sorry tale for India as they were all out for 171.
Waugh enforced the follow on only to regret his decision a couple of days later. Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly made a proactive move by promoting in form batsman Laxman at three. Laxman, along with Rahul Dravid, collaborated for what was to be the partnership of a lifetime. The duo batted for the entire fourth day, as some awe inspiring shots were played. On a dustbowl, a legendary spinner like Shane Warne was made to look ordinary. Laxman was dismissed for an epic 281, which was the highest individual score for an Indian batsman back then. Dravid was run-out for 180 as India amassed 657-7.
Needing 384 in a couple of sessions, it was just a matter of formality and a draw seemed on cards. Harbhajan Singh had other plans as he made a mess of the Australian middle-order. A magical spell by Sachin Tendulkar, where he grabbed three wickets, tilted the game in India’s favor as something extraordinary was about to happen. The Australians were bowled out for 212 as the Eden Gardens erupted in joy. India went on to carry the momentum in the third Test and won the series 2-1.