Test cricket saw its first-ever match played between Australia and England here on this day in 1877.
The match played between an English team led by James Lillywhiteagainst the Australians was later given the accolade of being cricket’s firstofficial Test.
English teams had been touring Australia before the 1877series, but the team led by Lillywhite was the first to visit these shores as abusiness venture rather than on an invitation.
England had lost by 45 runs in the inaugural Test.
On this day in 2001, arguably the greatest fightback in Testhistory was also witnessed as India sealed a historic 171-run win overAustralia, becoming only the third side in Test history to win after beingforced to follow on.
A rampaging Australia under Steve Waugh headed to Kolkatafor the second Test having thrashed India by 10 wickets in the first match inMumbai.
Between August 1999 and February 2001, Australia won 16straight Tests, and before this series they beat India 3-0 on home soil in thesummer of 1999-2000.
But at Eden Gardens, something surreal happened.
Australia had scored 445 in their first innings on the backof captain Steve Waugh’s 110 and 97 from Matthew Hayden, however it wasHarbhajan Singh who stole the show, claiming 7/123 including the first hat-trickin India’s Test history.
Australia continued their surge despite Harbhajan’s heroics,bundling out the home side for 171 in reply, Glenn McGrath taking 4/18. Waugh’smen looked good to be marching to a 17th straight Test win after enforcing thefollow-on. India were reduced to 3/115 and then 4/232 in their second innings –still trailing by 42 with just six wickets in hand when VVS Laxman and RahulDravid joined hands.
The pair famously shared a 376-run stand for the fifthwicket, and put their team 334 runs in front. Set an improbable 384to win in little more than two sessions on day five, Australia were outfoxed byHarbhajan, who added six wickets to his seven from the first dig and roundedout one of Test cricket’s most famous victories.