When talent married toil

Every so often a miracle happens in some sport in some part of the world. Kolkatta saw one on Thursday. Eden Gardens had seen some good wins by the home side -- the most recent being the '98 one against the same opposition -- but yesterday, it witnessed the greatest rescue act in the history of Indian cricket.

On the third day of the second Test the signs pointed in the right direction. Australia had once again ripped the heart out of the Indian batting and set it alight. Death was a few hours away and everything was as it should be. Only this time, a faint pulse was beating, refusing to die out. And lo, from the ashes rose a phoenix that set about repairing the damage with minimum fuss.

So low key was the beginning of VVS Laxman's mammoth assault that by the end of the fourth day Steve Waugh had the look of a man not quite comprehending just how the 17th win had managed to slip away. Michael Schumacher could not have been more surprised had he seen a Maruti roll past him yards before the finishing line.

In a bid to perhaps humanise Laxman's faultless innings, some mention of the two edges flying between first slip and gully should be made, as the only mistakes he made. In truth it would have hardly mattered had there been a second slip, for most of his shots were predetermined and along the ground. The uppishly played shot to second slip would have been avoided. Ask Steve Waugh, and he'll agree. He knows as well as anyone that Laxman had decided to stay and play all week if necessary.

When he was finally out, no one could believe it. Was he really capable of a bad shot or was the team objective winning out over the personal? Whatever be the case, Laxman is responsible, along with Harbhajan Singh, for breathing life into a comatose team.

Jaded and sullen players suddenly looked every inch as positive as the Australians did in Mumbai. The three greats of Indian cricket had a spring in their step. Thanks to these two, Ganguly savoured the sweet pleasure of sledging the critics who had questioned his captaincy skills; Dravid was inspired to find his form in style and Tendulkar came good with the ball in a neat cameo role with Harbhajan in the lead.

It was an incredible performance and one that is destined to become the yardstick of the ultimate comeback. It's impossible to predict where it will stand in history if the Indians win at Chennai. Will it be the harbinger of a golden period in which Test cricket will outshine masala matches? Will talent join hands with toil and make the long climb up to where the best live?

Chennai will give us the answers. 11 rejuvenated Indians will take the field against an opposition bent on revenge. The odds are stacked in favour of the home side - a dusty pitch, heat and noise, and spinners capable of turning a ping-pong ball. The Australians have the hardiness of the outback in them but they know that defiance has seeped into the Indians courtesy VVS Laxman.

That is the biggest miracle of all. Laxman has done for the team with one innings what John Wright would not be able to do in a year.