Profile
The orchestrator of Indian cricket's changing tide from mediocrity to pre-eminence, VVS Laxman will feature vividly in Indian cricket lore for some time to come. The premier memory of Laxman will be his 281 against Steve Waugh's all-conquering Australia in 2001. On face value, it broke various records, overstated till nostalgia nauseates. But its larger impact was instilling a previously unfound belief and character which the Indian team lacked for decades, paving the way to inspire awe which a nation of fans often demanded but were sparsely supplied with.
Yet, Laxman's career transcends that single historic knock. His extensive wristwork after leaning into a delivery while cushioning the ball with confidence never seemed laboured even in bowler-friendly conditions of Australia, New Zealand and the West Indies. For a large part, VVS has been a constant feature in the Indian Test side, along with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. He did try to alter his calculated stroke play to the frantic demands of ODIs and T20s, but despite an assured average of 30 by 2006, Laxman was soon side-lined in limited overs by the upcoming young talent.
In the longer version though, few could challenge his position. Even his inferior physical ability - put to test while running between wickets or having to fetch deliveries in the outfield - was regarded trivial enough to overlook. Another instance of repulsion towards the spotlight (a humble streak which never betrayed Laxman) was his quick replacement as the captain of his IPL franchisee. But runs kept flowing and centuries kept piling (often against Australia) in typical elegant fashion which constantly endeared him to fans.
If Tendulkar was India's 'man of the hour' and Dravid the dependent 'wall', Laxman dabbled somewhere in between, based on the situation. For India, it was an essential balance to have.
Fast Facts
- VVS Laxman was the Wisden Cricket of the Year in 2002.
- His 281 against Australia in 2001 was in its time the highest individual score by an Indian in Tests. Courtesy the knock, India went on to register an unlikely win, after being asked to follow-on which happened to be the third instance when a side won after following-on.
- Laxman became India’s fourth batsman to cross the 7500-run mark in Tests.
- As of November 2010, out of his six best Test innings, five have been against the dominant Australia.
Statistics
| Matches | Innings | Runs | NO | Avg. | SR | 100's | 50's | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 119 | 196 | 7856 | 30 | 47.32 | 49.32 | 16 | 49 |
| ODI | 86 | 83 | 2338 | 7 | 30.76 | 71.23 | 6 | 10 |
| IPL | 17 | 17 | 237 | 2 | 15.8 | 103.94 | 0 | 1 |
| CLT20 | 2 | 2 | 50 | 0 | 25 | 121.95 | 0 | 0 |
Career
Span:- Test:
- 1996-2010
- ODI:
- 1998-2006
- IPL:
- 2008-2010
- CLT20:
- 2009-2009
- Test
- Debut:
- India Vs South Africa at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium, Motera - Ahmedabad - Nov 20, 1996
- Last played:
- India Vs South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban - Dec 26, 2010
- ODI
- Debut:
- India Vs Zimbabwe at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack - Apr 09, 1998
- Last played:
- India Vs South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion (Verwoerdburg) - Dec 03, 2006
- IPL
- Debut:
- Deccan Chargers Vs Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Calcutta) - Apr 20, 2008
- Last played:
- Deccan Chargers Vs Rajasthan Royals at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur - Apr 05, 2010
- CLT20
- Debut:
- Deccan Chargers Vs Somerset at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad - Oct 10, 2009
- Last played:
- Deccan Chargers Vs Trinidad and Tobago at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad - Oct 14, 2009
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