‘It was destiny’: Sourav Ganguly on India’s historic 2001 Eden Gardens win

Kolkata: Twenty-five years ago at Eden Gardens, India scripted one of the most remarkable victories in the history of Test cricket. The famous 2001 Test against Australia was revisited where Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Venkatesh Prasad shared their memories of the iconic comeback, while Sourav Ganguly joined the session virtually.

Reflecting on that extraordinary win, then India captain Sourav Ganguly said, “It was destiny. It was a fairytale. I don’t have a recipe for that. I didn’t do that. It just happened.”

Among the architects of that victory was Harbhajan Singh, who played a pivotal role with the ball during the match. Speaking about his connection with the venue, he said, “I came to this world due to my parents, but I don’t know what I would be without Eden Gardens.”

He also recalled how he got the opportunity to play that Test. “Whenever I come here, those memories come to mind. Of course, Anil Kumble Bhai got injured. John Wright wanted someone who could take wickets. They called everyone to bowl in the nets and thought I was the best of the lot. Ganguly insisted on having me. I was taking wickets in domestic cricket.”

Looking back at the final day of the match, Harbhajan added, “I think on that fifth day we had the total on the board. Knowing Australia, they would come hard at us. When to declare and when not to declare was the question in the dressing room. In the end, around 74 to 76 overs were enough. Those superb catches by Rahul Dravid, Shiv Sundar Das and S Ramesh. That Test gave us belief.”

Venkatesh Prasad, who was also part of that memorable game, reflected on a moment that still lingers in his mind. “I dropped a catch. I lost it because the crowd was behind me. In the tea session, it was hell for me. I was feeling rotten. It kept playing on TV. These two guys, commentators Ravi Shastri and Ian Chappell, kept talking about it. You don’t want to be near the coach, John Wright. John said, ‘You’ve got to take those catches, man.’”

Zaheer Khan also shared his memories of that remarkable turnaround. “At the beginning of the fourth day, we had a chat. Chetan Chauhan was our manager, I think. He said, ‘We shouldn’t lose a wicket for the entire day.’ Laxman and Dravid, the way they batted, the lead kept growing. Eventually, we reached a position from where we couldn’t lose the game.”

Harbhajan also praised Ganguly and called him “the best captain I played under”. Recalling an incident that illustrated his leadership, he said, “Once I was dropped in seaming conditions. Only one of Kumble or I could have played and it was the great Anil Bhai. The next day he called me. I didn’t go. He called again but I was angry and didn’t go. He even said, ‘I am making coffee for you.’ A very nice guy.” Zaheer added, “Ganguly was very approachable.”

IANS