15 March,2026 08:35 AM IST | Mumbai | Clayton Murzello
The Indian team celebrate the final wicket of Australia’s Glenn McGrath on Day Five of the Kolkata Test on March 15, 2001. Pic/Getty Images
Watershed moment
On March 15, 2001, Sourav Ganguly's Indians became only the third team in Test cricket's then 124-year history to win after being asked to follow on. It stunned Steve Waugh's on-a-roll army who had won the previous Test, the opening one of the series in Mumbai, by 10 wickets.
The Kolkata Test thus went down as one of India's most significant wins. It redefined Indian cricket, reshaped its fortunes and changed India vs Australia
cricket forever.
Wright was right
India coach John Wright had probably the best seat in the house. He watched, felt and soaked in whatever the Test had to offer. He provided some more than just interesting details in his book John Wright's Indian Summers. From the fact that man of the match VVS Laxman came very close to missing the game due to a back issue to Rahul Dravid suffering from dehydration, Wright's account of the Test was fascinating. And he titled the Eden chapter The Greatest Comeback since Lazarus.
Hot Chocolate
Ian Chappell, who was part of the commentary team and wrote for total-cricket.com was profound in his column after India stunned Australia. He wrote: "The Indian team should be celebrating with Hot Chocolate - not the drink but the music of the band who sang, âI believe in miracles' because that's what it took to become the third team in history to win a Test after being asked to follow on."
Big names in press box
There was no shortage of big names of journalism in the Eden Gardens press box. A few of them had covered the 1969-70 India vs Australia Test there. One of them was Rajan Bala, who in fact, had written a book called Kiwis & Kangaroos which also included the visit by the New Zealand team that season.
Dicky Rutnagur was there too. He would have normally been at the All England badminton championships but chose to cover this cricket series. He rued his luck that he couldn't witness Pullela Gopichand's triumph after reporting on Prakash Padukone's All England win in 1980. But then, he watched the most amazing Test of all time on Indian soil.
Two big feats on one day
Talking of the All England badminton championships, Gopichand triumphed on the same day Harbhajan claimed India's first hat-trick. This newspaper did justice to both these heavyweight achievements in equal measure.
Big Test for umps
The two on-field umpires - SK Bansal and Peter Willey had the experience of their life while officiating in this Eden Test. Bansal was umpiring his sixth and last Test, all of them ending in India victories. As for Willey, this was the second time he witnessed a team winning despite being asked to follow on. The player-turned-umpire was part of the England team that turned the tables on Australia at Leeds in 1981.
Brief scores
Australia 445 all out (M Hayden 97, J Langer 58, S Waugh 110; Harbhajan Singh 7-123) and 212 all out (M Hayden 67; Harbhajan Singh 6-73, S Tendulkar 3-31) lost to India 171 all out (VVS Laxman 59; G McGrath 4-18) and 657-7 decl (VVS Laxman 281, R Dravid 180; G McGrath 3-103) by 171 runs
Kolkata has not hosted an India vs Australia Test match since the epic one in 2001 for reasons best known to the cricket bosses
Before the Test, match referee Cammie Smith had a meeting with the onfield umpires, Peter Willey and SK Bansal as well as myself, who was the TV umpire for the Test. Smith instructed them to consult each other in the case of touch and go dismissals, after which they should consult the TV umpire.
Now, when the Indian team went up in appeal for a close-in catch against Shane Warne for Harbhajan Singh's hat-trick wicket, Bansal straightaway went up to me instead of checking with his partner Willey. Smith turned to me and said that Bansal had not adhered to his instructions, but asked me to be calm before coming up with a decision. I pressed the button for the red light and to say elation followed would be an understatement.
That evening I went up to Harbhajan's room to congratulate him on becoming the first Indian to bag a Test hat-trick. Ashish Nehra, his roommate, opened the door and Harbhajan understandably wondered who I was. Nehra then told him that if it was not for my decision, he wouldn't gave got his hat-trick. We all had a laugh and from then Harbhajan always greeted me.
Sameer Bandekar, TV umpire in the 2001 Test
Obviously, it was a great victory for India, but what stands out in my mind is Rahul Dravid's reaction after he completed his century. He jumped and pointed towards someone in the Eden Gardens press box, almost in anger. I wondered why he reacted like that in the midst of a happy mood caused by an unexpected recovery caused by his own and Laxman's grand knocks.
Dravid is generally very unassuming, stoic, no expressions at all the field. He probably never reacted like that on the ground. Several years later, John Wright, the coach of India in 2001, wrote in his book that Dravid pointing to the press box was the only shot "in anger" during his remarkable innings of 180.
Pradeep Magazine (journalist, then with the India Today Group)
