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Laxman thinks this Indian side is a lot different from the ones that toured South Africa in the past and stands a very good chance to win its first series in Durban.
VVS Laxman thinks this Indian side is a lot different from the ones that toured South Africa in the past and stands a very good chance to win its first series here.
A day after India’s come-from-behind victory, the Man of the Match of the Durban Test says the team went into the game with a lot of aggression. “Coming into this Test, we were very upset with what had happened in Centurion. The aggression was more here. As a fielding and bowling unit, we were more aggressive. That’s what we discussed before the second Test. This kind of aggression was lacking in Centurion,” Laxman said.
Laxman, who scored a match-winning 96 in the second innings of the Durban Test, thinks the turning point was the approach of the team on Day Two after being bowled out for 228 in the first innings.
“The turning point was our bowling on the second day. We knew the game would be gone with one partnership in their first innings. We did not let that happen. The body language, bowling and fielding were the difference between Durban and Centurion.”
Laxman rates the win as one of the side’s best. “This win is up there. This is supposedly the quickest and bounciest wicket in South Africa. It gives you that much additional joy. The Durban wicket is the most challenging one. It gives a lot of satisfaction to all of us.”
Laxman thinks the experience of previous tours has made the side more confident. “The key factor was the expectations we had coming into this tour. Playing in South Africa before has helped us. The win we had in Johannesburg in 2006 has also helped. We are probably much more confident than we were during past tours,” Laxman added.
The middle-order batsman thinks the team needs to get a decent start in the third Test. “As for Cape Town, it all depends on how we start. The first day of the match usually sets the tone for the Test. It is important that we play to the best of our abilities. We don’t have to think about the end result of winning the series. If we do well the small things, the result will look after itself,” he added.
Personally, Laxman is disappointed to have missed out on a century in Durban but is satisfied from the team’s point of view. “My conversion rate is not that great. From 49 fifties and 16 centuries. I would have been happy if I had got a century here but from the team’s perspective, I’m very satisfied to have bailed the side out of a very tough situation.”
Laxman, who has been consistently helping the side by accumulating runs with the tail-enders, says he is able to do that because of his personal rapport with them. “It boils down to experience and my personal rapport with them. Luckily, they work hard on their batting. So they take a lot of responsibility. We set ourselves small targets. We look at scoring five runs or seeing one over off. The most important thing is to know if they are comfortable. That’s what I have learnt. If one batsman is comfortable facing one bowler, only then do I give him the strike. It keeps the scoreboard ticking and shifts the pressure back on the opposition.”
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