This Month In... 2001
India had just sealed one of their great triumphs in Test cricket, a 2-1 series victory over Australia highlighted by thatcome-from-behind victory in Calcutta (now Kolkata) after being asked to follow on. Victory in the final Test in Chennai thereafter won India the series, having started it with a loss in Mumbai.
The one-day international series that followed was just as competitive, with each side winning two of the first four games before Australia clinched the series with a four-wicket win, with just 12 balls remaining, in the final match in Margao. It brought to an end an intense tour.
ICC ODI Rankings for batsmen on 24 March 2001 (before the India-Australia series)
| Rank | Player (Team) | Points |
| 1 | Michael Bevan (Australia) | 840 |
| 2 | Sourav Ganguly (India) | 829 |
| 3 | Jacques Kallis (South Africa) | 771 |
| 4 | Russel Arnold (Sri Lanka) | 769 |
| 5 | Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 766 |
| 6 | Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) | 757 |
| 7 | Mark Waugh (Australia) | 755 |
| 8 | Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 738 |
| 9 | Brian Lara (Windies) | 735 |
| 10 | Adam Gilchrist (Australia) | 729 |
VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid were the stars of the Test series, with Laxman’s 281* – it would be his career-best score – in the second Test at Eden Gardens propelling the hosts to victory.
He continued his rich vein of form in the ODI series as well, smashing 291 runs from five games at 58.20, and finished second only to Matthew Hayden on the run charts.
They were followed by Sachin Tendulkar, who scored 280 runs at 56, and Michael Bevan, his 203 runs coming at a fine average of 109. The latter retained the No.1 spot in the ICC ODI Rankings for batsmen, with 843 points at the end of the series.
ICC ODI Rankings for batsmen on 6 April 2001 (after the India-Australia series)
| Rank | Player (Team) | Points |
| 1 | Michael Bevan (Australia) | 845 |
| 2 | Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 806 |
| 3 | Sourav Ganguly (India) | 798 |
| 4 | Jacques Kallis (South Africa) | 771 |
| 5 | Mark Waugh (Australia) | 761 |
| 6 | Russel Arnold (Sri Lanka) | 750 |
| 7 | Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) | 741 |
| 8 | Adam Gilchrist (Australia) | 736 |
| 9 | Brian Lara (Windies) | 735 |
| 10 | Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 723 |
India and Australia dominated representation in the top 10. Tendulkar climbed from No.5 to No.2 while Sourav Ganguly, the India captain, slipped from No.2 to No.3 after modest returns of 93 runs at 18.60.
For Australia, all of Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist featured prominently in top 10. Waugh gained the most from the series, jumping two places to No.5 after scoring 138 runs in two matches.
Ponting, who scored 137 runs from four games at 34.25, and Gilchrist – 172 runs from five matches at 43 – exchanged positions. Ponting slipped from No.8 to No.10, while Gilchrist gained two places to replace Ponting at No.8.
Hayden, who topped the charts with 303 runs from four games at 75.75, broke into the top 100 at the end of the tour and occupied the 33rd spot with 570 points. Laxman also broke into the top 100, and was placed 72nd with 394 points.
Jacques Kallis (No.4 with 771 points), Russel Arnold (No.6 with 750 points), Sanath Jayasuriya (No.7 with 741 points) and Brian Lara (No.9 with 735 points) were the others in the top 10.