Ganguly-Laxman Communication: The 2001 Kolkata Test and the Art of Saying the Right Thing at the Right Moment
How Sourav Ganguly's mid-pitch conversation with VVS Laxman during the 2001 Kolkata Test - one specific, timely instruction - turned a losing position into one of cricket's greatest comebacks.

{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Ganguly-Laxman Communication: The 2001 Kolkata Test and the Art of Saying the Right Thing at the Right Moment", "description": "How Sourav Ganguly's mid-pitch conversation with VVS Laxman during the 2001 Kolkata Test turned a losing position into one of cricket's greatest wins, and what it teaches every manager about the power of timely, specific communication.", "image": "https://avinash-gallery-worker.avinashchate-abc.workers.dev/avinash-1782733176222-fsk6vu.jpg", "keywords": "Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, 2001 Kolkata Test, Communication, Winning Kite framework, Stars at India Inc, Avinash Chate, EQ, team communication", "articleSection": "Emotional Intelligence", "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Avinash Chate", "jobTitle": "Founder & Director, The Future Corporate", "sameAs": [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/avinashchate", "https://www.youtube.com/@avinashchate" ] }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "The Future Corporate", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://avinash-gallery-worker.avinashchate-abc.workers.dev/avinash-1775992459555-zcrxke.webp" } }, "datePublished": "2026-07-11", "dateModified": "2026-07-11", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "/blog/ganguly-laxman-communication" } } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What happened in the Ganguly-Laxman communication story from the 2001 Kolkata Test?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "During the famous India vs Australia Test at Eden Gardens in 2001, with India in trouble in the second innings, captain Sourav Ganguly was batting alongside VVS Laxman and noticed the Australian bowlers were repeatedly targeting Laxman's known weakness against short-pitched deliveries. Ganguly walked down the pitch, spoke to Laxman directly, and told him to counter-attack the short ball with the hook and pull shot instead of defending it. Ganguly also reshuffled the batting order, sending Harbhajan Singh in ahead of Rahul Dravid to blunt the spin attack. Laxman went on to bat through to an unbeaten 281, Harbhajan Singh scored 75, and India won the match by 171 runs after following on - completing one of the greatest turnarounds in Test cricket history." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Where does Communication sit on the Winning Kite framework?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Communication is Trait #19 on the EQ - the left - side of Avinash Chate's Winning Kite framework. It is not just about speaking clearly; it is about reading a live situation, choosing the right moment, and delivering a specific, actionable message that changes what the other person does next. Ganguly's mid-pitch conversation with Laxman is a textbook example of EQ-driven communication under pressure." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Why was Ganguly's communication with Laxman so effective in that moment?", "acceptedAnsw…
← Back to all articles · Book Avinash Chate
By Avinash Chate — Maharashtra’s #1 Corporate Trainer & Motivational Speaker. .