In the embroidery that was Eden Gardens in March 2001, John Wright – the first foreigner to coach India – witnessed the ebb and flow of Tests, with all their drama, emotion and sheer improbability. Twenty-five years later, the New Zealand player spoke to TOI from Christchurch about the pressure, tactical decisions and the far-reaching impact of beating Australia.When you look back on that Eden Gardens Test 25 years on, what stands out to you the most?
I can’t believe it’s been 25 years! I have never seen such a crowd before. It was packed in envelopes. On the third day things looked bleak for us. But then the next two days saw an incredible turnaround, largely thanks to the sensational partnership between VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid. Finally it came to an end. Harbhajan SinghLast Day Bowling Heroics There was a lot of pressure on us. Australia was the world champion and had won everything.What was the condition of the Indian team before this match?It was my early days as the first foreign coach of the Indian team and Sourav Ganguly was also a relatively new captain. The odds were stacked against us. Before the series we had a preparation camp in Chennai with our physio Andrew Lipps. The big question we kept asking ourselves was simple: How do we beat Australia? I think we prepared very well for this challenge.How did the absence happen? Anil Kumble. Creating team projects?Our most experienced spinner Anil Kumble was injured and unavailable. The selectors had identified a young off-spinner named Harbhajan Singh, and the series ended up defining his career. In retrospect, I would rank this series with the 2004 series win against Pakistan in terms of its importance.The turning point of the Test was VVS Laxman’s rise up the order. How did this decision come about?After the first innings we were asked to follow on, but Laxman had already batted beautifully and scored 59 runs. We were also 1-0 down in the series, so in a sense we had nothing to lose. I remember listening to Ian Chappell on television commentary. He is an observer whose views I value greatly. Ian suggested that India should push Laxman as he was in great form. What he said made a lot of sense.We need someone who can play aggressively and put pressure on Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. Soro and I sat down after the first innings and agreed that VVS (Laxman) was the best way to go. I have always believed that the captain is the central figure in the team. The coach is on the high side. But in this case, our collective judgment worked perfectly.What made VVS Laxman’s innings so brilliant?What fascinated me the most was the way he played Shane Warne. He often played it against spin and got to the pitch of the ball with such ease. It was a master class on how to play spin. After tea that day he played two brilliant off-drives up top: one against McGrath and the other against Jason Gillespie. I remember thinking: How on earth does he play like that? It was very formal.Apart from his batting, how did Laxman contribute to the dynamics and development of the team?Laxman was the bridge between the young players and the seniors in the squad. If I remember correctly he was sharing a room with her. Zaheer Khan. We had a policy at the time where a bowler would pitch with the batsman. Laxman spends a lot of time advising Zach (Zaheer) on his batting. During my initial stint as coach, Soro and I focused on three key areas: improving close catching, speeding up running between the wickets, and increasing overall fitness levels. We also wanted the lower order to contribute more so that we don’t collapse after 200/5. The only thing this squad lacked was a true all-rounder.How important was Rahul Dravid’s contribution?Absolutely. Rahul deserves a lot of credit. He was pushed to No. 6 in the second innings. It was a demotion, but it was a game. His 180 was monumental. Laxman and Dravid were a formidable pair. He was also involved in another notable partnership against Australia in Adelaide in 2003. Rahul was in an incredibly productive phase of his career at that time. Be it Headingley in 2002, Adelaide in 2003 or Lahore in 2004. He was truly our rock.Harbhajan Singh’s bowling on the final day was legendary. Who were the other unsung heroes?Harbhajan’s performances, including that famous hat-trick, are rightly remembered. But we must not forget Sachin Tendulkar’s spell. He took three important wickets. The pitch was gripping on the final day, and Sachin’s delivery of the ball by Soura was a masterstroke. I also remember SS Das taking two brilliant catches. There was support from everyone in this match.What do you remember about that crazy last day?It was incredibly stressful. I watched from a distance as the drama unfolded. Eden Gardens had turned into a cauldron. The ebb and flow had overwhelmed him. I have always believed that India has the best cricket fans in the world and they deserve all the entertainment they can get.How important was this win for the team?The victory at Eden Gardens gave us a lot of confidence going into the third Test in Chennai, which we also won. It also extended my tenure as the coach of Team India. I stayed with the team for four more years. If we had lost that series, I would have packed my bags and gone home. At the time, everything was happening so quickly that you didn’t fully absorb it. Looking back, I think the victory instilled confidence in the team. It also paved the way for subsequent overseas successes.
