IND vs AUS Live Score: Dravid reflects on iconic partnership with VVS Laxman
As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy progresses, anticipation is mounting for the second Test in Adelaide, a much-anticipated Pink Ball encounter. Former Indian cricket legend and head coach Rahul Dravid spoke exclusively with Star Sports, recalling his iconic partnership with VVS Laxman during the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide.
Reflecting on the 2003 Test, Dravid recounted the formidable challenge posed by Australia, who had amassed 556 runs in just 1.5 days. Dravid had walked in at 85-4, joining Laxman at the crease under immense pressure.
Dravid shared, “I was thinking, ‘I’ve got the captain run out. I better do something meaningful.’ It was totally my mistake getting Saurav (Ganguly) run out. I will own up to that one—it was my mistake. But I think you’re just trying to bat, you’re just trying to build a partnership, you’re just trying to get to the target. 556 is a huge score. You’re just trying to stitch together a partnership; we’ve lost four wickets, and you’re just trying to think about getting close and batting together.”
Together, Dravid and Laxman crafted a crucial 303-run partnership, rescuing India from the precarious 85/4 position. In response to Australia’s towering 556, India posted 523, led by Dravid’s 233 and Laxman’s 148.
Dravid highlighted the unique camaraderie he shared with Laxman.
“The thing with Laxman and me is that we had batted together a couple of really big partnerships before that. We did it once in Kolkata in 2001 and even in a domestic game when we first played South Zone against West Zone—we had a really big partnership. So we had kind of batted a lot together and built this partnership. Not that we were thinking about that when we got out there, but I think the idea was really just to bat and try and build partnerships, stitch something together,” he said.
As their partnership flourished, Dravid observed how conditions began to favor them.
“As the partnership grew, the wicket was a pretty good one to bat on, the ball got a bit softer, and runs started flowing a lot easier. It’s always nice batting with Laxman as well, right? Because he’s just a beautiful player to watch and such a lovely player. He really attacked back, which, in some ways, complemented me quite well in how we went about our innings,” he added.
India went on to secure a historic four-wicket victory, with Dravid anchoring the second innings with an unbeaten 72 as they chased down 230.
As the current Indian team gears up for another pivotal Test in Adelaide, Dravid’s reflections serve as a timeless reminder of the resilience and determination needed to succeed in demanding conditions.
