VVS Laxman's 5 best Test knocks

There are certain batsmen whose records dont give a clear picture abouthow good he was.Indeed, an average just a shade under 46 in a 134 Test match career is a great achievement but not quite legendary.However, with the willow in hand and form at his sublime peak,Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman could weave magic, and certainly could be called one of the best of all time. Batting predominantly in the middle order, he has rescued India several times when the famed top order had flopped.Here are 5 of his best innings:

#5 167 v Australia, Sydney, 1999

This was the innings that would start a fabled love affair for the batting maestro with Australia. Facing a first innings deficit of over 400 runs, the result of the match was a foregone conclusion and it was just a matter of time before Australia completed the series whitewash.

Eager to make a name for himself, Laxman came out a man possessed as he lit up the SCG with wristy stroke play to carve out 167 beautiful runs out of a team total of 261 as India were humiliated by an innings and 141 runs. This was one innings that showed the capabilty of this man who turned out to be one of the best batsman India ever produced.

#4 148 v Australia, Adelaide, 2003

Chasing Australia’s huge first innings total of 556, India had slipped to 85-4 when Laxman joined Dravid at the crease. Unlike Kolkata 2001, this time Dravid was the protagonist with a double hundred and Laxman played the support role.

A dreamy partnership of 303 runs took India to a comfortable position. Laxman was at his wristy best in this innings with nonchalant batting. India conceded a narrow lead and Ajit Agarkar rocked the Australians with 6 wickets to set up a comfortable chase, to upstage Ricky Ponting’s mammoth 242, as India took a 1-0 series lead against the all conquering Australia.

#3 73* v Australia, Mohali, 2010

If you were waiting to see some team other than Australia, YOU ARE MISTAKEN! Yet again, VVS showed his class, battling injuries which had forced him to bat at no. 10 in the first innings, by taking India to an impossible victory in an all-time classic.

Chasing 216, India had slipped to 76-5 when Laxman came to the crease, and it soon became 124-8. Along with Ishant Sharma, this magician forged a wonderful partnership that took India to just 11 runs from victory when Hilfenhaus trapped Ishant leg before wicket.

Both teams were nervy and that resulted in some hilarious cricket. It’s impossible to forget Laxman shouting at Ojha for irresponsible running, but the cool headed monk finished off Australia to seal a nerve wrecking one-wicket victory.

#2 38 and 96 v South Africa, Durban, 2010

Finally, an innings against some other side apart from Australia, this although was not a huge innings, was surely one of the most valuable innings he has ever played. After losing the first Test by an innings, India were desperate to square the series. On a greenish pitch in Durban, all the Indian batsmen struggled and could manage only 205 batting first, VVS being the top scorer with his 38.

However, the Indian bowlers fought back to seal a 74 run lead but all that was soon becoming a farce when India had slipped to 56-4 in the second innings. Wickets kept tumbling at the other end, even as Laxman was rock solid.

His 96 took India to a respectable score to set South Africa a challenging fourth innings chase. The bowlers fired yet again to hand India an 87 run victory, in a match where no one else crossed 39. Unsurprisingly, he was named the man of the match for his masterful batting.

#1 281 v Australia, Kolkata, 2001.

There should certainly be no doubt about this whatsoever. Facing the best team in the world, following on after a 274-run deficit, VVS Laxman blasted his way to the then highest score by an Indian in Test cricket. Such was the brilliance of this Hyderabadi that it eclipsed a 13-wicket haul by the young Harbhajan Singh who also took the first Test hat-trick by an Indian.

After scoring a wristy 59 in the first innings to avoid India further humiliation, Laxman was promoted by the captain and local boy Sourav Ganguly. At the end of day 3, India still trailed by 20 runs with 4 wickets already down, Laxman unbeaten on 109*. What followed the next day is a part of history as Dravid and Laxman, batted, batted and batted to take India to a strong position out of nowhere. A timely declaration by the captain, allowed India to bowl out Australia in under a day to script the greatest come from behind victory in modern times, and also ended Australia’s winning streak.