Test Victories over Australia which changed the mindset of Indian Cricket

#1 The Miracle at Eden Gardens

After losing the first match by 10 wickets, and trailing by 274 runs in the second innings of the second match, only a handful would have been optimistic for an Indian win. Especially when you do not have the weight of history behind you, with only two sides in the past having achieved the feat. However, one man believed, and that man was Sourav Ganguly. His courage was contagious, as it mustered inside 10 other players, who stepped out for victory.

Australia, who were considered to be a ruthless travelling side back in those days, were made to toil for more than 100 overs by Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, with the latter being promoted to no. 3 after his first innings resistance. The partnership is regarded as one of the most enigmatic ever in cricket, as the two exhibited immaculate batsmanship. Steve Waugh was forced to use nine bowlers, with even Hayden and Ponting forced to roll their arms. Laxman notched the highest Test score by an Indian at that time, 281.

However, the acts of making history did not quite end there, as Harbhajan Singh, who had picked up seven wickets in the first innings, came back to pick up another six, including the first ever Test hat-trick by an Indian. He was complemented by Sachin Tendulkar, who handed three blows to the Aussies in his three consecutive overs. Chasing 383 for victory, Australia failed to deliver and India won by 171 runs. India went on to win the series 2-1.

This nostalgic win at the Eden was the start of a phase of resurgence for Indian cricket, as India began to play a fearless brand of cricket under captain Sourav Ganguly.