VVS Laxman - An erudite artist among dashers

It was never a question of whether VVS Laxman would announce his retirement or not, it was just a question of when and how he would call it a day. And the inevitable finally did take place at an emotional press-conference in Hyderabad, where Laxman announced that he had played his final game for India, just days after he was selected in India’s Test squad against New Zealand. For someone who was a vital member of arguably India’s greatest middle order ever, Laxman’s retirement has come with a sense of gratitude and affection not only from the Indian cricketing fraternity, but from all over the world.

Over the years, Indian cricket has been blessed with some outstanding batsmen. Whether it was the sheer genius of a Gavaskar or a Tendulkar, or the unflinching resolve of a Vishwanath or a Dravid, or just the plain audacity of a Sehwag – each batsman, with his distinct style, has given the term ‘batsmenship’ a new definition. Similarly, Laxman, like all others, has always been in a league of his own. The enchanting wrist-work, the fluent timing, the surgeon-like precision to find gaps – all these virtues defined Laxman’s game and definitely made him the erudite artist of Indian cricket.

One batsman who Laxman modeled his game on was his fellow Hyderabadi Mohammad Azharuddin. Whenever Laxman went out to bat, there was always a lot of Azharuddin attached to his play. The tall and broad frame of Laxman, along with the sublime wrists and effortless stroke-play, were surely reminiscent of Azharuddin of the early 90s. Laxman, who considered the Azhar as his idol during his early days, himself admitted that most of his on-side play was built after watching the elegant former India captain bat.

The sheer technical brilliance of Laxman doesn’t take away from the fact that he was one of the most ardent students of the game. Part of this can be put down to the fact that both his parents were doctors, and were a major influence when VVS was growing up. Rahul Dravid, in one of his tributes to Laxman, wrote: “He has looked to improve constantly, and not just with his cricketing technique. He reads quite a bit, and is open and willing to try different things that can improve his performance. That’s a key to survive for 100 Tests.” That was the kind of player Laxman was – constantly finding methods to improve his game and trying to fill his already rich baggage of cricketing skills.

India is a country obsessesed with statistics. And one major criticism which has always been leveled on Laxman over the years is that his numbers don’t do justice to his ability. A batting average just a shade below 46 in 134 Tests with just 17 hundreds. Show these stats to an average Indian and he’ll tell you why Laxman can never match the grandeur of a Tendulkar or a Gavaskar (Well, in this case, ask any Australian). But statistics merely tell you one part of the story. What they don’t tell you is that Laxman has been the quintessential 2nd innings savior for Indian cricket for more than a decade. In fact, Laxman has the best batting average against Australia among all batsmen since the 1970s. From the face-saving 167 in Sydney to the heroic 281 in Kolkata, or even the diligent 73* in Mohali while batting with the tail, Laxman was there when his team needed him the most.

While in the dressing room, Laxman was a terrific team-mate. He always lent an air of assurance to the dressing room and this fact was echoed by Laxman’s good mate Dravid, who wrote in his tribute, “Nothing calms you like Laxman”. A person who never got carried away with lot of success, nor was too bogged down by failure, Laxman was a calming influence on the team and had the ability to stay unruffled during turbulence. Probably, Laxman was one of the best Test captains India never had.

Laxman’s absence will leave a deep void in Indian cricket. A void, which I don’t see being filled very soon. In a time where cricket has just turned into a “Who-can-thrash-the-ball-the-farthest-fest”, where batsman are hell-bent on using brute force to score runs rather than indulge in the fine artistry of touch and timing, I don’t see another VVS Laxman in the near future.

An unsung champion, an artist, a magician, a role-model and a wonderful human being – VVS Laxman was a man of many interesting parts.

Thank you for the memories, VVS! It was an honor to see you bat. You shall be missed.