Thanks Lax... Very Very Sorry

Thank you Laxman for the batsman you are. The general public might find it hard to understand why he is so appreciated as his batting is like a poetry, not as straight like a prose. Those gentle wrists, which allow you to hit a ball on the onn-side when the ball is pitched outside off or when you dance down the track to a spinner and then play an inside out shot. Hah...

The below career"ography" is with inputs from Cricinfo.

My first memories of VVS was when he hit that awesome 167 against Australia (in Australia) in a loosing cause in the year 2000. India was following-on and VVS was opening the batting. Yeah, as India never had a proper opening pair and always had a makeshift opening pair. Dravid and Ganguly too have tried their hands till we found Sehwag. Back to the 167, VVS' maiden hundred. It was like there were 2 matches going on, India v/s Australia and VVS v/s Australia. Yeah, he made 167 runs out of 261 that India made. VVS was the 8th wicket to fall. But the man had made a mark. Finally, after years of spending in the domestic arena as a batting giant, the man was recognised to make the next leap.

But then, he is one of the most unrecognized architect of transformation of Indian Cricket. Tendulkar always have created a great hype, Dada creating an attitudinal shift with his captaincy, Dravid proving to the world that Indian's can play the short ball. VVS Laxman played the most important innings by an Indian (second only to Gavaskar's 102 while chasing 403 runs target). VVS made 281 runs and along with Dravid and Harbhajan led to a victory by a team following-on. This was only the 3rd time in the history of the game. The next match he made two 60+ scores. He made 66 with India chasing 155 in the 4th Innings of a Test match, only dismissed 20 runs short of the target because of a great catch by (his Australian cousin) Mark Waugh.

Then VVS was at it again when he remained NOT OUT on 154 against WI to help draw the Test Match in 2002. Player of the match was Sachin as he made 176 in the company of VVS.

Australia is at the receiving end again in 2003. It was Steve Waugh's farewell series and it was being played in Australia. A backs-to-the-wall 303-run stand with Rahul Dravid sets up the famous victory in Adelaide before a dazzling 178 in Sydney and a triple-century partnership with Sachin Tendulkar gives India a chance to seal the series.

It was in 2004 though when he showed why he separates from the other contemporary greats. On an astonishing day when twenty wickets fell, on a dustbowl that Ricky Ponting called "nowhere near to being Test standard", he scripts a doughty 69 that paved the way for a consolation victory in Mumbai.

Then came his second double century in Delhi. The team in the receiving end was again Australia. From Cricinfo- When Laxman plays like he did today, he paces his innings superbly. He scored 17 off 19 balls out of the first 50 runs in his 278-run partnership with Gautam Gambhir. Then came the lean period against Clark during which Laxman took 34 balls to move from 50 to 55. And then he took off, reaching his century off 170 balls and scoring his second 100 off only 130, though he hardly ever looked like he was in a hurry.

But what is missed among all of the above is that other than his artistry, is his steely nerves. He ,other than Rahul Dravid, has been the man on whom India depends upon when in a crisis. He is again the one on whom India depends when faced with a target to chase on the last innings of a Test match. His contribution of 70+ runs in Mohali in 2010 were worth in gold. With victory in sight, he never once looked like getting out. He never played a hurried shot. Even with 6 runs to win, he did not panic and try to finish it off with expansive shots.

Maybe that is what makes this man. He just goes about his job quietly and a calm way. There are very few distractions to him. And when the team's back is against the wall, his presence out there makes everyone feel calm. He is very assuring.

With Sehwag, people are always on the edge of their seats.
With Dravid, there is always some sort tension on his face (too serious). Too much of WORK in his GAME.
With Sachin, there are the nervous nineties (even after 48 centuries and 20 years of Intl cricket) he gets nervous with a milestone approaching, then there is always worry of gifting his wicket with victory within reach.
With Ganguly, there is always the danger of a short ball or an open face of the bat to the slips.
With Laxman, there is always a sense of calm. Yes, there are a few claims that he is a nervous starter. It is like a monk meditating in the centre of the pitch. There are very few players who can give this kind of experience to the ones watching, as teammates or opponents or spectators. And maybe, that is why he is not counted among the Fab 4 or not even equated with Sehwag. VVS has had so many important 30's and 40's which might never receive as much recognition as a leg glance from Sachin does. That is the cruel reality of the world. But for the purists among us and deep students and admirers of the game, VVS will always be hailed as someone who other than being an artist also made an impact on the games he played.

Very Very Sorry for not including you in the 2003 WC (my biggest beef with Ganguly- How could you ever take D Mongia ahead of VVS).
Very Very Sorry for not naming you a part of Fab 4, something that you highly deserved as being the chief architects (along with Dravid) in transforming Indian Cricket to what it is now when being led by a great leader Ganguly.
Very Very Sorry as some years down the line you might be not acknowledged as one of the greatest batsmen ever to have played this game, while a player
--> who just has bigger scores and higher number of centuries (out of which most does not even contribute towards a win or is made in partnership with you or Dravid, thereby easing the pressure) with lesser mental strength (often choking when really required to deliver)
--> who has played all his life in 1 position (#4 - which allows the condition to be much better for batting as the balls grows older and the pitch gets less livelier, if played in the morning)
--> does not have to often bat with the tail-enders.
--> has only twice chased down in the 4 innings of Test match succesfully (only when there were significant contributions by the other batsmen)
will be called the "Greatest" batsman of all time. Just a reflection of our morals and the basic structure of the society. Too hoots to the subtleties and artistry, just show me the numbers...

Lax... For whatever it is worth-- If at work while India is batting in a Test match and I enquire about the score and I hear some paltry score, my question always is "Is Dravid still there? or Laxman?". Secretly, that is what you mean to maybe many more than me... that assurance that we might still have an answer to a really dodgy situation... Your half centuries and so many 30's and 40's, the partnerships you foster with the lower order and the way you respond to pressure (by pressure I mean the REAL MATCH pressure and not the bogus and over-hyped pressure of meeting 1 billion expectations) is what I ask from the teams premier batsman...