There are some innings which transcend the matches they are played in. And yet, VVS Laxman’s epic in the famous Kolkata Test of 2001 acquired its legendary status for the situation India found themselves in – trailing 1-0 against world champions Australia and forced to follow on after being bowled out for 171 in the first innings.

Fittingly, Laxman’s 281 has been accorded the status of being the greatest Test performance in the last 50 years by ESPN’s Cricket Monthly magazine. Almost no one would dispute this – there have been few better comebacks in cricket.

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Laxman’s extraordinary performance revitalised a bruised and battered Indian team, who ultimately defeated the all-conquering Australians in that Test and went on to win the series. The Kolkata Test has gone down in the annals of the game as one of the greatest Test Match victories of all time.

Of course, amidst all the adulation that Laxman richly deserves, it would be a travesty if his partner in that marathon 376-run partnership were to be forgotten. Rahul Dravid had been dropped to number six in the second innings and by the time he came in, Laxman had already scored a century.

In combination with the elegant batsman from Hyderabad, Dravid put on his own exhibition of determined batting, playing one of the defining innings of his career. His 180 on that day may not have a found place in the list of the best batting performances ever, but in terms of enabling acts, there have been almost none to match this one.