Hyderabad, (Asian independent) Batting great V.V.S. Laxman has said the epic 2001 Eden Test win against Australia felt like the entire nation was celebrating with them although the team had little time to reflect on the miraculous performance to draw the three-match series level.
The Australians had arrived in India on the back of 15 consecutive wins and beat India in Mumbai, the hosts then snatched victory from the jaws of defeat at Eden and then they won in Chennai to bag the series 2-1.
Laxman played the innings of his life along with Rahul Dravid as he scored 281 batting at No.3 while Dravid struck 180 to take India to a commanding position after managing just 171 in the first innings in reply to Australia’s 445. India declared on 657/7 in the second essay and bowled the Aussies out for 212 to win the Test by 171 runs.
Laxman was adjudged Man of the Match. “We immediately had to go to Chennai. There was very little time to celebrate, but it felt like the whole country was celebrating along with us after that victory,” Laxman told the Times of India in an interview.
Harbhajan Singh finished the series with a whopping 32 wickets, including a hat-trick in the Eden Test. Laxman said that performance was the best he has seen of the veteran off-spinner especially at such a young age and in his comeback series. He also lauded then captain and now BCCI President Sourav Ganguly for showing faith in ‘Bhajji’ as he is fondly known.
“For a youngster making a comeback into the team, it was brilliant. Of course, he got a lot of confidence from Sourav, who backed him to the hilt because there was no Anil Kumble or Javagal Srinath.
“It was very tough to hit Bhajji the way he was bowling. The best part was Bhajji taking a hat-trick. The confidence levels suddenly changed after the hat-trick. Some brilliant catches as well,” Laxman recounted.
