That's what Laxman proved to be yesterday as he intoxicated his admirers and opposition with his classy innings of 96
That's what Laxman proved to be yesterday as he intoxicated his admirers and opposition with his classy innings of 96
The year 2007 would be remembered as the year when India crashed out of the World Cup, and later won the World Twenty20.
The year 2008 saw the retirements of legends Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly. In 2009, India clinched their first Test series in New Zealand after 1967-68. And in 2010, VVS Laxman, once and for all, jumped ship from an elegant middle-order batsman to a living legend.
Super hero
While Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar continue to break every possible Test battingu00a0 record, Laxman architects India's rise to the top of the Test rankings through his 'Laxman Rekha' - prohibiting the opposition from a series win.
Not to say Dravid and Tendulkar haven't played a part, but it is Laxman's knocks that have influenced results.
This year, he has done so, at will, starting with the unbeaten 143 at Eden Gardens, the invaluable 56 on a deteriorating surface at Colombo, which transcended to the unbeaten 103 against his favourite Aussies at Mohali, the match-saving 91 against New Zealand at Ahmedabad, and now, perhaps the finest of the lot ufffd 96 against South Africa at Durban.
Laxman's latest gem took India from 56-4 to 228, in conditions that saw bowlers extract swing from short-of-a-length deliveries, spinner Paul Harris get balls to bounce till chin height, and importantly, with India on the verge of losing their first series since 2008. As it stands, the visitors are seven wickets away from registering their first-ever Test win at this venue.
Arguably South Africa's greatest-ever cricketer Graeme Pollock reckons Laxman should be averaging close to 60 in Test cricket: "He does stand out in this pack. I would have thought he should be averaging at least half a dozen more runs that what he does. He has so much time when in the middle and has great technique to back it up.
No weakness
"There's no obvious weakness in him. I first saw him playing against us (at Ahmedabad) in 1996, and instantly saw a star in the making. However, his game has evolved to new heights in the last few years. He's a much under-rated cricketer. Laxman is truly a class act," Pollock, who for the record, averaged 60.97 told MiD DAY in an exclusive chat. Asked to compare Laxman to one of his contemporaries, Pollock said: "That's very difficult to do. I have seen fewer guys who have so much time when out in the middle. Also, fewer guys who are so classical in their approach, I have never seen him lose his cool when out in the middle. He has probably created a niche for himself. Maybe somebody from the future generation would have to be compared to Laxman."
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