Test cricket is not a game played over just five days; it is also played over 15 sessions, and the team that wins more sessions invariably ends up victorious.
In that sense, Test cricket resembles a boxing bout closely -- win more rounds than your opponent and, bar an absolute knockout punch, you will win. So here is a look at how the Adelaide Test played out.
| Day 1 - December 12, 2003 | |||
| Session | Match position | Verdict | |
| Morning | Australia 135/2 (Ricky Ponting 60*, Damien Martyn 0*, 27 ovs) | Aus | Ind |
| 1 | 0 | ||
| Remarks: After the draw in the first Test at Brisbane, the Indians were feeling good. Matthew Hayden's wicket was a huge plus for India and so was Justin Langer's, just as he was beginning to tear the Indian attack to shreds. But in between the Aussies had amassed 135 runs at an average of five runs per over. | |||
| Post-lunch | Australia 241/3 (Ponting 110*, Waugh 24*, 51 overs | 1 | 0 |
| Remarks: Once in command, the Aussies rarely, if ever, relinquish charge. It did not happen here either. Ponting continued to play his shots with aplomb, and Martyn and captain Steve Waugh gave him good support. | |||
| Post-tea | Australia 400/5 (Ponting 176*, Gilchrist 9*; 90 overs) | 1 | 0 |
 Remarks: Ponting did not even stop for breath and the demons of his failures in India during the 2001 series were exorcised. Simon Katich also showed his class and joined the fun with a stroke-filled 75. | |||
| Day 2 - December 13, 2003 | |||
| Session | Match position | Verdict | |
| Morning | Australia 523/7 (Ponting 228*, Gillespie 29*, 119 overs) | 1 | 0 |
| Remarks: The Australian onslaught continued unabated. At the end of Day 1, former Australia skipper Greg Chappell had felt that the Aussies could get as many as 700 runs, but the wickets of Gilchrist and Bichel in quick succession held the Aussies back. | |||
| Post-lunch | India 81/2 (Dravid 5*, Tendulkar 0*, 17 overs) | 0.5 | 0.5 |
 Remarks: The Indians fought back with Anil Kumble taking his first five-wicket haul in years. A 66-run opening stand then laid the foundation for India, but both openers were dismissed quickly thereafter. It was a closely-fought session in which neither side gained the edge over the other. | |||
| Post-tea | Australia 556, India 180/4 (Dravid 43*, Laxman 55*, 51 overs) | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Remarks: A 95-run partnership between Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman redeemed a grim situation somewhat, with the batsmen counterattacking after the Australians had reduced India to 85 for 4. | |||
| Day 3 - December 14, 2003 | |||
| Session | Match position | Verdict | |
| Morning | India 252/4 (Dravid 83*, Laxman 87*, 83 overs) | 0 | 1 |
| Remarks: It was vital for the Indians not to lose any wickets in the morning session, and they did exactly that. Memories of Kolkata were revived. This was the first session that India won. The Aussies were starting to wilt. | |||
| Post-lunch | India 388/5 (Dravid 158*, 114.2 overs) | 0 | 1 |
 Remarks: Laxman and Dravid put on 303 runs for the fifth wicket and sparked the match into life. Laxman's 148 was superb and to say that his knock was crucial would be the understatement of the year. | |||
| Post-tea | India 477/7 (Dravid 199*, Kumble 1*; 143 overs) | 0 | 1 |
| Remarks: Dravid kept going and he got good support from the tail. Every Indian player made the Aussies work hard. No false shots. No playing the hero. They batted to a plan. When the day ended, India had added 297 runs for the loss of just three wickets. | |||
| Day 4 - December 15, 2003 | |||
| Session | Match position | Verdict | |
| Morning | Australia 21/2 (Hayden 9*, Martyn 2*, 8 overs) | 0 | 1 |
| Remarks: On Day 2, not even the most optimistic Indian supporter expected India to get close to the Australian total. But they did. The Aussies were surprised. The Indians scored 523 runs, then dismissed Langer and first innings double centurion Ricky Ponting in quick succession. | |||
| Post-lunch | Australia 112/5 (Katich 2*, 34.1 overs) | 0 | 1 |
 Remarks: But the Aussies were not out of the match as yet. They knew that anything over 250 runs would be a tough task on a worn-out wicket. Then they lost three wickets, including two to the leg-spin of Sachin Tendulkar. This was the session where the Indians truly started believing they could win. | |||
| Post-tea | India 523, Australia 196, India 37/0 (Chopra 10*, Sehwag 25*; 10 overs) | 0 | 1 |
| Remarks: The final session on Day 4 saw the applecart being overturned. Ajit Agarkar claimed the last four wickets to fall in his last 19 balls to turn the match completely in India's favour. Again, India had won the entire day. The only question now was: Can the Indians keep their nerve? | |||
| Day 5 - December 16, 2003 | |||
| Session | Match position | Verdict | |
| Morning | India 108/2 (Dravid 17*, Tendulkar 17*, 37 overs) | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Remarks: The Indians did keep their nerve. Even after Virender Sehwag was dismissed trying to hit Stuart MacGill out of the ground, Dravid and Tendulkar stuck to their task. Wickets would decide the result of the match and India did their best not to give Australia any hope. | |||
| Post-lunch | India 233/6 (Dravid 72*, Agarkar 0*, 72.4 overs) Result: India won by 4 wickets | 0.5 | 0.5 |
 Remarks: Four wickets fell in the extended session, including Tendulkar and Ganguly. But the knockout punch never came. V V S Laxman's cameo (32 runs off 34 balls, including 6 fours) eased the pressure and Dravid's unbeaten 72 ensured India's historic win. | |||
| Total points | 6 | 8 | |
