You can never tire of watching Laxman bat. His strokes, the creation of strong wrists, never dry up, his spirit never dies and his cricket never transgresses the laws of the game. His personality is an epitome of fair play and needless to say, rhythm remains his forte while making runs, writes Vijay Lokapally.
It would be hard to leave him out of India’s list of all time entertainers with the bat; and certainly not from the list of touch artists with the willow. V. V. S. Laxman brings to modern cricket the finesse that belonged distinctly to Gundappa Visvanath and the assurance that was the domain of a certain Sunil Gavaskar.
But no comparisons please! For Laxman is unique. He can be deceptively languid at the crease and amazingly electric at the first sight of a scoring opportunity. His strokes are a caress, soft statements of his authority, not aimed at offending the bowler. But then Laxman is not the one to concede superiority at the crease, a rasping pull, or a breathtaking square-drive, pristine testimony to his class and quality, cricket poetry at its best.
Laxman’s has been an untainted devotion to a profession that he chose above medicine. If not a painter of many a masterpiece with the bat, he would have been a flawless surgeon. Many of India’s memorable triumphs, at home and overseas, have been scripted by this crafty performer.
When in form, Laxman defies the principles of the game in batting. How else do you explain the ball flying off his bat, finding gaps amidst a defensive field, a symphony for the audience but a harsh reminder to the frustrated bowler that even lethal balls do not always fetch wickets! Certainly not when Laxman is in flow!
But there was a grim period in his life when self-doubts almost halted his cricket. It was in 1993-94. The Australian under-19 team was visiting India and Laxman was given just this one series to prove his worth, by his parents, both doctors, and by the selectors. If he failed at cricket, the scalpel waited for him. His response was so typical.
In the three Tests, he showcased his talent with scores of 88 not out, 5, 151 not out, 77, 36 and 84. The attack included Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie. They were to suffer his fury six years later too on home turf. Laxman prospered from that series, carving a career with a bat, his parents gladly setting aside plans of having another doctor in the family.
“It was a critical period for me. I was good at cricket and better at studies. I was unsure. But my uncle (Baba Mohan) played a big role and ensured that I did not lose my focus on cricket. I got the message and the support from my family and never looked back. In fact, I never thought of a career outside cricket from that day,” recalls a satisfied Laxman.
From that day, Australia has remained so special for him. Of his 13 Test centuries, six have come against Australia, and true to a classicist, not a six adorns those six hundreds. His two double centuries, both on Indian soil, have come against Australia. Four of his six ODI centuries have been crafted against Australia. He loves Australia; and Australia loves him. It would happily grant him citizenship, if he desired.
You can never tire of watching Laxman bat. His strokes, the creation of strong wrists, never dry up, his spirit never dies and his cricket never transgresses the laws of the game. His personality is an epitome of fair play and needless to say, rhythm remains his forte while making runs. With a gentle visage and impeccably attired, Laxman is the scourge of the best. The bowlers just can’t comprehend their follies. Where do they go wrong? Often they do not because this polished batsman picks the line early and makes a mockery of the length with a bat that moves in a flash, completing the act with the authority of an Alexander the Great.
The mild-mannered Laxman, 34, is at the peak of his profession. He has created a legion of fans for himself, despite a galaxy of achievers in the team — Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. When he bats, you only yearn for more, and more.
But then Laxman has also remained a gross underachiever. For his 100 Tests, and for his prowess, he should have been worth a few thousand runs more. But then Laxman will be remembered for being an artist whose ‘strokes’ brought joy to millions and not an accumulator of runs who kept the statisticians busy.
Humility has been so pronounced in his character. Not known to criticize anyone, he once got worked up when comparisons were made between him and Mohammad Azharuddin. He pleaded, “Please ask people not to do that. Azzu bhai is a far, far greater batsman than someone like me. I can never come close to his style and mastery.”
A memorable tribute to Laxman had come from Rahul Dravid. The two have grown as batsmen from their junior days and Dravid had no qualms when admiring his old mate, “I can’t play shots like Laxman. I would get out in no time.”
To Laxman’s credit, he played 100 Tests despite being kept on tenterhooks. He was always the candidate to be dropped. He was a “reluctant” opener, despite a 64 on his first appearance in that role, because he was always asked to take first strike when playing overseas (in West Indies and Australia). At home, the selectors would conveniently find a replacement in far from hostile conditions.
It took Laxman some guts to inform the team management that he would not like to open. After informing the team management that he should not be considered as an opener any more after he was dropped from the team on failing against South Africa at Mumbai in 2000, he was forced to do the job only once — at Karachi in 2006. (Virender Sehwag was not eligible to bat due to technical reasons — not on the field when Pakistan was all out).
How many batsmen in Indian cricket would have batted in as many different positions as Laxman? True, Ravi Shastri graduated from making his debut at No. 10 to opening the innings, but Laxman was conveniently used to suit the needs of team managements. “A splendid team man. You can always rely on him,” was Anil Kumble’s opinion. From No. 1 to No. 7, Laxman has served selflessly. He has batted once at No. 8, too.
In today’s world of acrimonious cricket, he is a welcome ambassador, reminding everyone that cricket indeed can still be played the gentleman’s way.
Rise wherever you are for this virtuous cricketer when he steps on to the field next. At 34, he has travelled far to deserve the honour of 100 Tests.
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