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Hail the immortal : Laxman is India's Greatest second inning player and the ultimate Oz Slayer

fineleg

By fineleg
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vamos_rafa Newbie

vamos_rafa

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Harsha : Always the artist, never the superstar

In a wonderfully charming way the world sometimes pauses, holds back from its relentless march forward, to look at timelessness, at things that defy the situations it seeks to create: a beautiful love story, a travelogue lazily told, a ghazal, a VVS Laxman innings. When Laxman bats, he is almost dated, sepia tends to tinge the bright, colourful, high-resolution pictures that show him batting. He doesn't steal the impossible single, doesn't come storming back for a second like his life depended on it, doesn't snarl at somebody because he has a couple of seconds and doesn't know what to do with them. He lets the moment breathe, gently sniffs at the serenity that inevitably surrounds him and takes his stance; his world is dictated by his speed and no one else's. Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, he seems to search for a higher calm as the other seagulls scrap for anchovies around him. Not that the scrapping is bad, not that the stolen second run is impure; it is just not him, not his world. When he was slogging in the IPL recently, his bat-speed awry, his body tilted at angles strange for strokeplay, the leg moving out of line to hit over midwicket rather than coming languidly towards the ball to stroke it past cover, he looked like a cheap imitation of the original. It didn't become him. It was an artist trying to enter the world of commerce; a world that pays millions to those who don't bat like him. And he is understated - another disqualification from the world of commercial endorsements. When he uses the letter "i" it is only because it is in the middle of the word "win". He loves winning, he loves contributing to a win, but he is unlikely to be nudging someone to be in the first row of the photograph. And so while the big cheques don't always appear, something else does: respect in his dressing room and in that of the opposition; like it does for Naseeruddin Shah, while the big cheques go to Salman Khan. But respect never goes out of fashion; it is something all performers crave, and he has it in abundance. For a major part of his career he has batted at No. 6. It means the tail is a stone's throw away. It means the boundary riders are out for him, offering him the single to attack the rest. It means he stays not-out more often; once every sixth innings almost, compared to about one in 10 for Tendulkar and one in nine for Dravid. You might argue it boosts his average but the innings rarely go as far as they might have gone. Hence, only 16 centuries. Hence, too, the change in batting style; from a free-stroking player to someone who must guard his wicket and prolong the innings. Number six is a difficult position to bat in if you are a batsman who doesn't bowl because your numbers rarely look as good as those of the men who precede you. That is why he has had to walk the selection tightrope far too often for a player of his ability. That is why many believe he has been underrated. Down in Australia they think we are daft, but we have never bestowed on him the stature we have on Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, and more lately Sehwag. And so, every time there was a new kid on the block, the attention shifted towards Laxman. And yet in the last two years (from January 1, 2009, to be precise), he has scored a century every four Tests and averages 80. Remember, too, that he doesn't play any other form of cricket at this level. It means he has to lift his game enormously, for standards of first class-cricket in India are poor, and quite simply, he wouldn't have played enough. It is an assignment that can be daunting for most and something he will have to live with for the rest of his career. Nobody knows how long that is going to be. He might have the spine but his back is asking too many questions and his knees aren't his best friends. Many years ago a young Jonty Rhodes was batting with the legendary but ageing Graeme Pollock. After Jonty had called him for one single too many, the great man called him mid-pitch and said: "Young man, the athletics stops now and the cricket begins!" The athletics may have stopped for VVS Laxman but the cricket continues to be magical. His place in the pantheon is assured.
Sachinism Newbie

Sachinism

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the change in batting style; from a free-stroking player to someone who must guard his wicket and prolong the innings. Number six is a difficult position to bat in if you are a batsman who doesn't bowl because your numbers rarely look as good as those of the men who precede you. That is why he has had to walk the selection tightrope far too often for a player of his ability. That is why many believe he has been underrated. Down in Australia they think we are daft, but we have never bestowed on him the stature we have on Tendulkar, Dravid, Ganguly, and more lately Sehwag. And so, every time there was a new kid on the block, the attention shifted towards Laxman. And yet in the last two years (from January 1, 2009, to be precise), he has scored a century every four Tests and averages 80.
Has been tougher for VVS
ina_jawaan Newbie

ina_jawaan

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"Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, he seems to search for a higher calm as the other seagulls scrap for anchovies around him." I don't usually pay much attention to what Bhogle says. But I must admit there are occasional epiphanic moments when he writes with considerable flair. His evocation of seagulls reminded me of John Arlott's ode "To a great batsman": As the gull conceals in easeful glide The inborn gift to curb and ride The gale - merging the sea wind's force With lovely movement on a chosen course- So, in timed swoop, he moves to charm The ball down-swirling from the bowler's arm Along some glissade of his own creation, Beyond the figures' black and white rotation. Recorded centuries leave no trace On memory of that timeless grace. There is something about the true spirit of cricket in Arlott's poesy, Bhogle's edification of the beautiful and the pristine purity of the batsmanship which inspired it (and to which Arlott's ode might well have been addressed).

Guest Gunner

Guest Gunner

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"Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, he seems to search for a higher calm as the other seagulls scrap for anchovies around him." I don't usually pay much attention to what Bhogle says. But I must admit there are occasional epiphanic moments when he writes with considerable flair. His evocation of seagulls reminded me of John Arlott's ode "To a great batsman": As the gull conceals in easeful glide The inborn gift to curb and ride The gale - merging the sea wind's force With lovely movement on a chosen course- So, in timed swoop, he moves to charm The ball down-swirling from the bowler's arm Along some glissade of his own creation, Beyond the figures' black and white rotation. Recorded centuries leave no trace On memory of that timeless grace. There is something about the true spirit of cricket in Arlott's poesy, Bhogle's edification of the beautiful and the pristine purity of the batsmanship which inspired it (and to which Arlott's ode might well have been addressed).
:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:
nballa Newbie

nballa

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after the first couple of sentences this article was all about bats and seagulls and cheetas and nasiruddin shahs. can't this guy write one normal article.

HowardRoark Newbie

HowardRoark

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Now all these praise is getting a bit nauseating...It's like a week of celebration when all and sundry write poems to praise all the time...no wonder the rest of world gets pissed when seeing any article on our cricketers (though it's plain hate from some).

Feed Newbie

Feed

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Laxman who turns 36 today I'm humbled by any praise showered on me, says VVS Laxman on his... More... Laxman who turns 36 today By: Clayton Murzello Date: 2010-11-01 Place: Mumbai I'm humbled by any praise showered on me, says VVS Laxman on his... The Australian cricket team ought to be celebrating VVS Laxman's 36th birthday today if they believe age blunts a batsman's edge. But their nemesis is not one who is afraid of the years catching up. Stats prove that he has only got meaner against them with age. In 2000, he hit 167 in the Sydney Test at 25 albeit for a losing cause. Before he turned 27, he scored that incredible, match-winning 281 in the Kolkata Test of 2001. In December 2003, the month after he turned 29, he hit another match-winning hundred -- in Adelaide to help India take a series lead for the first time Down Under. laxman.jpgVVS Laxman executes a cover drive against Australia during the Sydney Test in 2008. Though his hundred in Sydney, 2008 was for a lost case, last month, he crafted a superlative, unbeaten 73 with a bad back to win India the Mohali Test by one-wicket, a month before turning 36. Laxman's next challenge comes in the form of the touring New Zealanders, who take on M S Dhoni's giants in the opening Test on November 4 at Ahmedabad, the very venue where Laxman walked out to bat in India colours for the first time in 1996. Excerpts from an interview: Do you belong to that category of people who are afraid of getting older? Not at all. I don't really think about age. I just enjoy representing my country and I am very passionate about it. I don't think about how old I am as long as I am able to do what I love doing. Is there a cricketing birthday gift you received which you still treasure? Nothing in particular, but I made my Test debut against South Africa in 1996 at Ahmedabad just after my 22nd birthday, so I cherished that moment. On November 20, 1996, I realised my dream of representing my country. I've never looked too much into birthday gifts and parties, but I have always sought blessings from my elders. You go back to Ahmedabad this week -- to where it all began in international cricket for you. Are the memories still fresh? I can never forget my first Test especially when you've played world-class bowlers like Allan Donald, Fanie de Villiers, Brian McMillan, Pat Symcox and the situation I went into bat (82 for 4) in the second innings and scored 50. It gave me a big thrill. Also, the thought that I was doing something that I had always craved for, gave me a lot of satisfaction. Ahmedabad will always be special for me. After your performance in the recent Mohali Test, there has been a huge amount of praise heaped on you by the Aussies. Has it been very humbling? I am humbled by any praise showered on me. It gives one a lot of satisfaction when people recognise your efforts. But more than that, there is a lot of joy when you win a Test match from that kind of a situation. That Test must have been a memory to cherish for everybody; not only for the Indian cricketers, but the Australians too. I am sure it was a very memorable Test match for them to play in too. Our victory will inspire us. Many experts felt that they saw the real tough side of VVS Laxman in that Mohali Test... Tough situations get the best out of me; give me an opportunity to do something special. I am happy that I have been able to do that quite a number of times in my career. Those occasions have pleased me immensely.

fineleg Apprentice

fineleg

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I think (in one of Gary's interview) he mentions India would really miss player of Laxman's caliber after he retires. He plays a very difficult role - the man of crisis batting at #5/#6 and bailing the team out in 3rd or 4th Inn of a Test under extreme pressure situations often against good attacks. He is going to be irreplaceable once he retires! Super job VVS! And like it is said - At one point, He was always on the verge of being dropped! He lived in the shadow of doubt by selectors, but he prevailed like a gentle giant! WU3f4MZxJGA

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