Such was the dazzling display of the two princes of Indian batting that for once the King himself was a mere flicker. For long has Rahul Dravid, a cricketer and a gentleman, soldiered under Tendulkar's shadow -- without envy or ill-will, one might add. When the masterscored his hundred against Kenya in the last game, the pundits lavished superlatives on him while Dravid's effort was relegated to mild praise. Today, with stern face and set jaw, it was as if Dravid had decided to take centerstage. Willowy drives and rasping cuts cascaded from his bat as he raced to 50 in only 43 balls in such a delectable innings that 8,500 people must have been giddy even without the beer that flowed in the stands as they savoured the champagne batting.

Ten fours crashed into the fence in less than an hour, and such was his authority and confidence in making those runs that Dravid, usually an understated cricketer, turned to his mates on the pavilion balcony and raised his bat, as if warning thekm of more to come. At the other end, Ganguly was a magic wand to Dravid's scimitar, languid poetry to flowing prose, as he conjured up his trademark silken drives and elegant glides. The symphony added 100, then 150, then 200, the crescendo rising all the time. As they neared a century apiece,they slowed only momentarily, as if drawing their breath for the magnificent assault that was to follow. Kargil must have been mild in comparison. But it was also evident that had learnt their lesson from the game against South Africa, when they failed to step on the gas after a wonderful start.

Ganguly, whose indolent grace hides a steely mind, began unwinding even before his hundred as he caught up with the racy Dravid. One hit of Aravinda D'Silva cleared the Ian Botham stand and landed in a moat outside the ground, necessitating a new ball. Six more sixes erupted from Ganguly bat as the magic wand turned into a cannon after his hundred, reminding the smattering of Englishmen at the ground that feats of Ian Botham and Viv Richards that they swear by could be bettered. He moved from 100 to 150 in just 25 balls, as Dravid now gave him centre stage. The poor Lankans were driven to tears by the assault. Their fielding went to pieces as the duo savaged a side that had hit the Indians for 952 for 6 in Colombotwo years ago. But it was not so much a revenge for that humiliation as an exercise in establish their own self-esteem.

Never before have two Indian batsmen lived up to their talent and skill as they did today. To put matters in perspective, the Lankans bowled poorly and the small ground, with criminally short straight boundaries, inflamed the run feast. But only the churlish would deny the greatness of the feat. The pair had added 318 and erased almost every World Cup batting record when Dravid ran himself out. Ganguly blazed forth to 183 before he fell off the penultimate ball of the innings, his attempted six falling short of what could have been the highest World cup individual score (Gary Kirsten's 188 against UAE at Rawapindi in 1996). The applause that followed his trudge to the pavilion rang throughout Somerset county and the hearts and minds of anyone who watched on a day of immortal batsmanship.