August 23, 2002: It was the third Test of series between England and India at Leeds, and the visitors had their work cut out, trailing 0-1. Back home, the Indian team was embroiled in a contract dispute and the honeymoon period after their historic 2-1 win against Steve Waugh's Australia the previous year was long over. Sourav Ganguly's men were in a state of transition.
On day one, Rahul Dravid scored a patient and masterful hundred. England skipper Nasser Hussain described it as "one of the finest" he had seen. However, India needed a win to stay alive in the four-match series.
Dravid departed having added 38 runs to his overnight score of 110 and in came Ganguly. If the away side's ethos on day one was about waiting for the bad balls and playing conservative, risk-free cricket, day two saw the Tendulkar-Ganguly axis switch to white-ball mode. The bowlers toiled as the Indian skipper was at his fluent best – driving with panache and using his feet at will against England's hapless left-arm spinner, Ashley Giles.
Tendulkar soon got in on the act and the runs came thick and fast (at an astounding rate of 4.18 an over) during the course of the 249-run partnership for the fourth wicket. India declared at 628/8 on day three, registering their highest team total away from home. Tendulkar slammed 193, Ganguly, 128. It was the first time that India's "Big Three" had each scored a century in the same innings of a Test. India would go on to win by a whopping innings and 46 runs.
