Eden Gardens is witnessing another historic game. India is currently playing the first day-night Test match with the pink ball against Bangladesh in Kolkata.
The ex-Indian team, which was the part of the 2001 home Test series against Australia, came to witness the first day-night Test match. VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh were present on day one of the ongoing Test match at Eden Gardens. During the lunch break of the first day of the pink-ball game, VVS Laxman and Harbhajan Singh memorised some past events which were connected with the Kolkata ground.
In 2001, Australia scored a total of 445 runs in the first innings. In reply, India was bundled out on 171 runs after which Australia forced them to follow on. In their second innings, most of the top-orders lost their wickets just after getting settle down and everyone lost the hope for the Indian team. But the duo VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid showed the best through their bats. They stitched the partnership of 376-runs and led the side to 657 runs (657/7 decl.).
Australia had a target of 384 runs to chase. Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was in full action as he took six wickets in the fourth innings, after taking up seven wickets in the first innings, including a hat-trick in the first innings. The visitors were all out for 212 runs and India registered the victory by 171 runs.
Ashish Nehra was sledging Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh – VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman opined that everyone was happy in the dressing room. His partnership with Rahul Dravid changed the atmosphere of the Indian dressing room. He remembered that Ashish Nehra was the 12th man in that match. When he came to the ground to give water bottle, he sledged Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh.
“When Rahul and I came to bat in the morning on 4th day, we decided that the 2nd new ball was very important to change the face of the match because. We had lost 4 wickets and if you go into a shell, the Australian won’t allow you to recover and bounce back,” he said.
“On the 4th day what we could sense was, everyone in the dressing room was feeling for us. Everyone in the changing room, including the substitutes running with water were sledging Australians. I still remember Ashish Nehra, running with water was sledging Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh. So that was the turn-around by the lunchtime on 4th Day,” he added.