VVS Laxman celebrates 16th anniversary of Adelaide Test win with nostalgic throwback post

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had a massive honour during his time as captain when his Indian team beat Australia in a Test match in Adelaide on December 16, 2003. To defeat Steve Waugh's men in those times was the toughest task in world cricket but Ganguly's men created history, which arguably paved the way for India's current generation of cricketers to play like world-beaters. On Tuesday, former India batsman VVS Laxman, who was a part of that winning team, took to Instagram to post a picture from the tour of Australia where he can be seen standing alongside Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Ajit Agarkar. He wrote "Was 16 years yesterday since one of the most memorable victories I experienced as an India player #adelaide 2003"

ALSO READ | VVS Laxman lauds King Kohli's 'masterclass' as Virat's unbeaten 94 powers India to a win

VVS Laxman's throwback post

ALSO READ | VVS Laxman shows faith in this player to open the innings with Rohit Sharma in T20Is

When the Indian cricket team left for a compelling tour Down Under in late 2003, not many expected them to do better than their previous visit in 1999, which had been catastrophic. However, a rain-affected draw in the first Test match at The Gabba in Brisbane seemed to give India a lot of confidence. In the second Test at Adelaide, Australia scored a mammoth 556 riding on the back of a double century by Ricky Ponting, who scored 242. Anil Kumble was the pick of the bowlers as he picked up a fifer. In reply, India had a poor start. At 85 for 4, the follow-on seemed inevitable. India was still 471 runs adrift of the Australian total. It needed a herculean effort for India to make a comeback.

ALSO READ | Rahul Dravid pays biggest tribute to current Indian pace attack, calls it the 'best ever'

That's when India's two legends Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman came to the team's rescue as they stitched a 303-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Even though Laxman fell after scoring a gritty 148, Dravid carried the team on. His marathon innings of 233 lasted for 594 minutes. Dravid was eventually dismissed, but he was primarily responsible for taking India to a total of 523.

In the second innings, Ajit Agarkar wreaked havoc as he grabbed 6 wickets and the Aussies were bundled out for 196. This promoted Harbhajan Singh to call Agarkar a 'monster' and 'legend' in Laxman's post. A target of 230 was challenging considering India's history. But Dravid once again came to the team's rescue. A few wickets fell around him but he was determined to see India home. India managed to chase the target with four wickets to spare. Dravid was once again the top scorer with an unbeaten 72.

ALSO READ | Mental health a challenge, important to maintain balance: Rahul Dravid