Thread by @Jammysir1

We all know VVS and Dravid batted right through an extraordinary fourth day at the Eden Gardens in 2001. But do you know Dravid was actually lucky to survive, even until lunch? 🧵

Dravid had just reached his 50, and Australia were getting a bit restless since the overnight pair had weathered the best of Warne, McGrath and Gillespie as the clock ticked towards lunch hour that morning...

Desperate for a wicket from anywhere, Steve Waugh handed the ball to Ricky Ponting, who famously went through that entire series like a zombie. He was having the epitome of a disaster tour.

Harbhajan was in the midst of puppet-mastering him to his wills. Ponting may well have been Neil Armstrong stepping on the moon - that's how unsure his footwork had become. His trademark strut was gone. He had become a shell of the Ponting we knew.

But here he was, with Australia looking to make a dent before lunch. With woe on his shoulders, with a grimace in his face, with a ragged SG ball in his hands, Ponting trotted in to deliver some vintage dobbers... But wow. Hang on...!

That one swung in like a charm. And it thumped Dravid in front. All of Eden Gardens went quiet. Eleven Australians went up in animated appeal. A billion gotis went into a billion muhs, simultaneously.....

NOT OUT! Umpire Bansal wasn't convinced.

Ponting turned to look at the batsman in absolute despair. He looked at Dravid, and they maintained eye contact for an interminable 15 seconds, as the crowd whooped in relief and joy....

Ponting kept glaring at Dravid. He was LIVID! He wouldn't take his eyes off Dravid's.

It took Ponting a while to come to terms with the decision, and to stop glaring at Dravid, and to walk back to his mark.

Last ball to lunch. Ponting determined. Trot, wobble, jump, release. Whoa!

Another big inswinger, and again BHAM on Dravid's pads. Trapped on the front foot. This time the appeal was even louder. Ponting leapt up in the air and howled like a man possessed, HOWZZZAAAAATTTT!!!

Like a Bangalore citizen imploring an auto driver to take him to Bellandur, Ponting implored. Like Kamal Haasan in the final scene of Sadma, Ponting appealed.

Alas, No luck. Bansal was not to be moved. Over, and lunch! Wicketless morning for Australia.

VVS and Dravid walked back to applause, one-third of their epic day's work done...

The Aussie group trudged back together, shoulders slumping, Ponting still bristling. Matty Hayden and Steve Waugh walked back together, muttering to each other.

"Geez Haydos, haven't seen Punter get that excited all tour... He's had such a rough time. Good to finally see some passion coming back into the bloke."

Hayden's reply: "Well I told ya, didn't I... If you want aggression on the cricket field, look into Rahul Dravid's eyes."

#JammySir 🙏