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It is not commonplace for three players from the same era to score a truckload of runs in all formats. However, Team India are probably one of the few teams in cricket history to be blessed with that in the form of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly.
The three stalwarts have combined for over 76,000 runs and an incredible 186 centuries. Each has scored over 10,000 ODI and 7,000 Test runs in their illustrious careers.
The trio was a vital part of the golden generation of Indian batting in the 2000s, which also included Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman. During their peak, Team India recorded famous wins in all formats, including Test series wins in England and Pakistan and a drawn series in Australia.
In 50-over cricket, all three legends were instrumental in India being joint-winners of the 2002 Champions Trophy and runner-up in the 2000 Champions Trophy and the 2003 ODI World Cup.
Apart from their several individual accolades, the trio also thrilled fans by winning matches for India with their performances together. One such instance was the Headingley Test on this day against England in 2002 when Dravid, Tendulkar, and Ganguly scored centuries in the first innings to propel India to a mammoth score of 628.
It helped the Asian giants record their first Test win on English soil since 1986 and helped them draw the four-Test series 1-1. Another interesting stat is that each of the three greats averages above 50 in the red-ball format in England.
As we celebrate the famous Headingley win from 21 years back, let us look back on five other instances when the trio of Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly combined to win India a match.
#1 India vs West Indies, 2nd Test - Port of Spain, 2002
Winning a Test in the West Indies always proved to be a bridge too far for Team India from the late 1970s till the end of the century. They had not won a single match, let alone a series, on West Indian soil since the 1975-76 series.
However, with the trio of Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly at the peak of their career, Team India finally managed to eke out a hard-fought win in the second Test of the 2002 tour.
After being asked to bat first, India scored 339 on a difficult batting wicket in their first innings on the back of a magnificent century by the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar. It was his first Test hundred in the Caribbean, and in partnership with Dravid, the duo added 124 for the third wicket to bail India out of trouble from 38/2.
The current India head coach added a valuable 67 of his own. In the second innings, it was the turn of the Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who scored a resolute 75* to help India set the hosts a target of 313 from 56/4.
The trio's incredibly determined batting efforts proved too much for the West Indians as they went down by 37 runs.
#2 India vs England, 2nd Test - Nottingham, 2007
Much like a Test match win in the West Indies, the three legends ticked another box when they came together to earn India a famous series win in England for the first time since 1986.
Heading into the second Test at Nottingham in 2007 after a hard-fought draw in the opening game, India were looking to take a stranglehold on the series. After dismissing the hosts for a paltry 198, Rahul Dravid's men knew this was their golden opportunity to script a memorable victory and go down in history books.
The legendary threesome stepped up to the party, with skipper Dravid weathering the new ball to score a valuable 37. His defiance made the job much easier for the other two, who cashed in with half-centuries.
While Tendulkar scored a magical 91, the Prince of Kolkata scored a breezy 79 to help the visitors secure a match-winning 283-run lead.
Ganguly and Dravid were also unbeaten in the fourth innings as India chased down the target of 73 to record a sensational seven-wicket win.
The victory proved pivotal as the side drew the final game and emerged victorious in the series 1-0.
#3 India vs South Africa, Champions Trophy semi-final - Nairobi, 2000
The 2000 Champions Trophy was one of India's best performances in an ICC event, despite the heartbreaking finish in the final against New Zealand.
Having beaten the world champions Australia in the quarter-final, the Men in Blue dismantled the defending champions from 1998, South Africa, in the semi-final in Nairobi.
Winning the toss and batting first, skipper Sourav Ganguly and his opening partner Sachin Tendulkar added 66 for the first wicket to lay the foundation for a match-winning score. Despite losing Tendulkar for a well-made 39, India continued the momentum with the incoming Rahul Dravid, scoring a crucial 58 off 71 deliveries.
The skipper then took over in one of the most breathtaking displays of stroke-making, scoring an electrifying 141* off 142 balls to propel India to 295/6 in their 50 overs. In reply, the Proteas were bundled out for a mere 200 as India romped through to the grand finale.
Tendulkar and Ganguly also picked up four of the 10 wickets to fall.
For the uninitiated, the tournament also saw the emergence of Yuvraj Singh as a destructive finisher, something that Indian fans relished for years since.
#4 India vs Australia, 2nd Test - Kolkata, 1998
India and Australia had several incredible white-ball battles in 1998, with the sides exchanging memorable tri-series wins in India and at Sharjah. However, the Test series preceding the ODI games provided some of the best knocks and the famous Sachin Tendulkar-Shane Warne battle.
Coming off a dominant win on the back of Tendulkar's other-worldly 155* in the first Test in Chennai, the hosts were looking to seal the series at the Eden Gardens.
Despite losing the all-important toss, the Indian bowlers performed admirably to dismiss the Aussies for a meager 233 in their first innings. In response, the big three of Tendulkar (79), Dravid (86), and Ganguly (65) scored precious fifties to help India reach a massive 633/5 in their first essay.
Their decimation of the Aussie bowlers completely demoralized them as they were shot out for an embarrassing 181 in their second innings to suffer defeat by an innings and 219 runs. The utterly dominating performance gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
#5 India vs West Indies, 4th ODI - Vadodara, 2007
While a home ODI series win against the West Indies does not sound as alluring as the ones mentioned above, it is still one to cherish for the die-hard Indian supporters.
A scintillating batting display by the troika of Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly in the fourth and deciding ODI reaffirmed India's dominance with the bat through the 2000s.
After winning the first two games, the hosts suffered a setback in the third ODI in Chennai. However, they left no stone unturned as the batting led by Tendulkar's 41st century steamrolled the West Indian bowlers.
The Master Blaster was given the perfect platform to dominate by half-centuries from Ganguly (68) and skipper Dravid (78). India finished on 341/3 in their 50 overs and bowled out the Men from the Caribbean for just 181 to win the series 3-1.
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