India, Oct. 13 -- Until March 2001, the follow-on was viewed as a badge of honour, a symbol of dominance and supremacy. Captains barely thought twice before sticking the opposition in for a second time, even if the lead was only 230 or thereabouts, so long as the bowlers hadn't been required to bowl a lot in the first innings.

All that changed after the Eden Gardens, following VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid's monumental 376-run alliance, which transformed certain defeat into a glorious triumph. It was strictly a one-off, but the seismic impact of that partnership was so great that not even mighty Australia enforced the follow-up with past alacrity.

Steve Waugh had no reason not to expect a record-setting 17th consecutive victory when he as...