VVS Laxman answers SOS call again

He is a god-fearing cricketer and it is not his habit to hurt anyone, not even the ball. While batting, he does not hit the ball, as if he fears hurting the red cherry. So, he just about caresses it to the fence...

The only shade of ‘cruelty’ seen in him is at the end of each over when he gently taps the crease about 15 times. While other batsmen smash the ball-spot into suppression with heavy willows, he just about walks down to the spot and lets his light bat kiss it, casually, so that Mother Earth is not hurt...

His boundaries come with feather touches rather than off power spanks. He prods, guides and glances the ball to boundaries rather than cut, whack or punch. Timing and placement are better options than power…

VVS Laxman is a batsman who believes batting is an art rather than science. He is of a different class. “He is of different technique and temperament too. One needs to discipline himself strictly to do well in these conditions,” says Graeme Pollock, one of the greats of the game, who was witness to one of Laxman’s greatest knocks on Tuesday afternoon.

The 36-year-old Hyderabadi is not only about style but a lot of substance too. Adversity brings the best out of him. There is a degree of inevitability about his batting — he rises to the occasion when the team is in dire straits. Just like his batting in the current Test.

When the ball was zooming, vrooming and rising menacingly on a fresh juicy pitch, he stood up to the tearaway pacers in the first innings.

If that is not enough, he played a 10-on-10 knock in the second innings. He had only the tail for company but managed to give the bowlers a defendable total. He did not even bother about his century, which would have been one of the best in the history of Indian cricket.

This innings comes just weeks after another special effort from him in Mohali where he guided India to an incredible come-from-behind win. There, too, he had the tail for company.

Incidentally, the Mohali knock came weeks after a special effort in Colombo where he carried the team’s burden even though he wasn’t fully fit. That effort saved India the series and their No 1 ranking. These efforts reinforce that Kolkata 2001 was not fluke.

“He has all the time in the world. He is one of the classiest of batsmen of all time,” adds Pollock.

He is one of the most dependable too.