VVS Laxman: 5 best Test knocks against Australia

Aalekh
The legend that defines Indian Test cricket
The legend that defines Indian Test cricket

"Always the Artist, Never the Superstar"- Harsha Bhogle on VVS Laxman

The above quote by Harsha Bhogle reflects the strong self-less character of VVS Laxman every time he walked out to play. Vengapurappu Venkata Sai, aka VVS Laxman, was a team player to the core. One of the most elegant batsmen ever to grace the world of cricket, he was a magnificent combination of picturesque strokeplay, sublime timing and terrific defence technique which means he was a nightmare for the opposition bowling attack.

If you have ever witnessed him handle the blade, you know quite well how great of a wrist magician he was. His exquisite wrist work, everytime he directed a delivery outside his off-stump through the mid-wicket, is something that the entire cricketing fraternity applauds to the date.

A Test cricket specialist, he knew the art of stitching partnerships with a player- be it with a middle-order gem like Rahul Dravid or a tailender like Ishant Sharma, better than anyone else.

The stylish batsman was well-known for the way he handled his balance and effortless strokeplay- never tried to hit the ball too powerfully but still, the ball raced to the boundary ropes, teasing even the quickest of the fielders.

He is an inspiration to many young cricketers like Hanuma Vihari, the latest youngster to earn the Indian Test cap, who cited VVS Laxman as his inspiration.

VVS played some phenomenal knocks in his career, be it Test cricket or ODIs. Every time the sound Indian batting line-up crumbled, the entire nation of India looked upon him to clear the muddle and guide India to safety. Averaging 45.97 in 134 Test matches, VVS registered 8781 runs for India which include 17 centuries, 56 half centuries and 2 double centuries.

Laxman's knocks against Australia, in particular, always stood out. At that time, Australia was the toughest team to beat as the team consisted of players like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie and Ricky Ponting to name a few. Against Australia, VVS delivered everywhere- from Kolkata to Adelaide.

Let us take a look at 5 marvelous VVS Laxman knocks against Australia in Test cricket that spoke volume for his masterclass and cricketing IQ.


1) 73* (1st Test at Mohali; Oct 1-5, 2010)

First Test - Day Five:  India v Australia
Laxman doing what he did best

Laxman anchored India to a much-needed victory at Mohali back in 2010 in one of the most thrilling Test encounters ever. Chasing 216 to win, India lost wickets at regular intervals as India's top and middle-order consisting of players like Sachin, Dravid, Sehwag, and Gambhir crumbled and India were 124/8 and headed towards a defeat.

Facing a back injury, and with Ishant Sharma at the other end, a composed and collected Laxman handled the pressure quite well. Not only did he reply with a counter-attack strategy that baffled the opposition, he guided the tailender Ishant to survive against the remarkable Austrailian bowling attack.

The way he faced and guided Ishant to face the dreadful reverse swing bowling by Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Johnson, and Doug Bollinger was a treat to watch.

Ishant contributed crucial 31 runs, but when he got dismissed and the scoreboard read 205/9, indicating 11 more runs to win, Laxman quite maturely guided India towards victory with a struggling Pragyan Ojha, contributing 73 unbeaten off 79 deliveries.

2) 79 (3rd Test at Perth; Jan 16-19,2008)

Laxman and his magic at WACA
Laxman and his magic at WACA

"If you get Dravid, great. If you get Sachin, brilliant. But if you get Laxman, it's a miracle"- Steve Waugh to Brett Lee

Winning a Test match at Perth was something that always eluded India until the 3rd Test match between India and Australia in 2008. A collective effort by Indian bowlers managed to get India a lead of 118 runs as Australia were restricted to 212 in their 1st innings. However, things turned sour for India halfway through the second innings as India were 125/5. In came, to hold the fort for India, the very dependable VVS Laxman.

On a difficult pitch, he removed the sudden pressure that was suddenly on the Indian batting line-up. He stitched some crucial partnerships with the likes of Dhoni, RP Singh, and Irfan Pathan.

He punished the weaker deliveries, displayed a fantastic technique to handle pace, and kept rotating the strike to help India take a huge lead of 412 runs, much to the dismay of the Australian team.

As India put on 294 runs on the board, Laxman got dismissed by Brett Lee having contributed vital 79 runs off 156 deliveries. Chasing 412, Australia was restricted to 340 and India won by 72 runs.

It must be noted that Laxman put together a collective partnership of 59 runs with the last 3 wickets (235/8 to 294/10 in India's 2nd innings), which were of immense importance as India won by 72 runs.

3) 148 (2nd Test at Adelaide; Dec 12-16, 2003)

Laxman and Rahul together at the crease- A cricket lover's heaven
Laxman and Rahul together at the crease- A cricket lover's heaven

"You have to see VVS Laxman bat to understand his magic"- Ian Chapell

In a match that saw Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman set up a clinic of magnificent batting technique and strategy, India managed to win a Test match in Australia after a long gap of 22 years. Highly regarded as one of the finest display of batting ever on Australian soil, Laxman and Dravid proved the world that they were the true Test specialists.

Thanks to a terrific double ton by Ricky Ponting, Australia set up a gigantic target of 556 runs in the 1st innings. In reply, India was struggling at 85/4 on the seaming pitch of Adelaide when Rahul and Laxman took the reigns. They took India from 85/4 to 388/5, a record partnership of 303 runs for the 5th wicket.

Rahul and VVS registered magnificent 233 and 148 runs respectively. Laxman's 148 runs came in 282 deliveries, full of his trademark shots like flicks and cover drives. Together, they handled fast bowlers like Andy Bichel and Gillespie as good as they managed spinners like Stuart McGill and Katich. India set up 523 runs in 1st innings.

Australia was restricted to 196 runs in 2nd innings, giving India a target of 230 to win. India won the match by 4 wickets. Laxman played a short but effective knock of 32 runs off 34 deliveries in second innings too to help India win.

4) 167 (3rd Test at Sydney; Jan 2-4, 2000)

Laxman celebrating his maiden century in international cricket
Laxman celebrating his maiden Test century

"Watch him, but don't try to imitate. Only VVS can play them"- John Wright

This is the tale of Laxman's maiden ton. A century that was a roar, proclaiming his belonging at the highest level of cricket. It was the 3rd Test match at the iconic SCG and India were low on confidence owing to 2 consecutive losses in Adelaide and Melbourne earlier.

Batting was a major issue at that time for India in Australia. In the 1st innings, India was restricted to a poor score of 150 and in reply, Australia put up a humongous score of 552. Even in the 2nd innings, India's struggles continued and in regular successions, crucial wickets like Dravid, Sachin and Ganguly kept falling.

Holding the fort was the opener VVS himself who was the only Indian batsman to provide a fitting reply to every strategy Australian bowlers had in mind. Facing the dangerous bowling attack, Laxman smoked the bowlers north, south, and center with pitch-perfect shots.

Laxman stood firmly at the crease while wickets kept falling from the other end. In his 198-ball 167 run innings, he struck 27 boundaries and spent 255 minutes on the crease, from 0/0 to 258/8. It was extremely rare for a player to score runs this quickly at that time in Test cricket.

Out of India's 261, Laxman's alone made 167 runs. India lost the match by an innings and 141 runs, but found a player that would protect India's interests in the future.

Last but certainly not the least, the epic knock that stands the test of time.

5) 281 (2nd Test at Kolkata; March 11-15,2001)

The best innings of VVS's Test career
The best innings of VVS's Test career

"You didn't bowl badly, you just came up against the player who I think is the best batsman of spin bowling that I have ever seen"- Ian Chapell to Shane Warne

Ah, that majestic knock! A knock so wonderful that in 2016, it was awarded the best innings in the last 50 years by the ICC. This innings itched Laxman’s name into the golden books of cricketing history. A knock that made the entire cricketing world stand up on its feet and applaud this gem of a cricketer. The opposition Australia were awestruck too and hence originated the affectionate abbreviation of VVS- Very Very Special.

In reply to Australia's 445, the Indian team was bowled out for 171 runs in the 1st innings and were forced to follow on. Australia had the match in control but things took an interesting turn when Laxman walked in at No. 3. He weaved a record partnership of 376 runs with Rahul Dravid for the 5th wicket.

During his unbelievable stay of 631 minutes at the crease, he registered a phenomenal knock of 281 runs off 452 deliveries that comprised of 44 boundaries. Dravid too played a magnificent knock of 180 runs.

The cricket enthusiasts at the Eden Gardens witnessed a magical display of batting. Shane Warne was gracefully flicked on the on-side, McGrath was beautifully driven on the covers and Gillespie was gently cut through the gap on the off-side for four.

The skipper Steve Waugh tried 9 bowlers to get rid of Laxman and Dravid but for 631 and 446 minutes respectively, Laxman and Dravid tormented the Australian bowlers who, to their credit, utilized every strategy and trick to get rid of them.

Amidst the thunderous standing ovation applauses, India declared their 2nd innings at 657/7, giving Australia a target of 384 runs to win. This time, the Indian bowlers got the better of the opponents and bowled them out for 212 runs.

Harbhajan Singh scalped 6 wickets and India won the match by 171 runs, the exact amount of runs they had scored in the 1st innings, hence carving a proud and unforgettable victory for the Indian fans.

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Edited by Kumud Ranjan