A Salute to the Very Very Special Laxman

I remember returning from school after my Class X board exam, way back in 2001, pondering over the answers I had written to the rather incomprehensible questions, and trying to calculate the approximate marks that I would obtain out of all this labor. The March sun was shining brightly, when I suddenly heard the words "Laxman scored a double century, Dravid a century." I couldn't believe my ears. This was in regards to the 2nd Test Match being played between India and Australia at the Eden Garden Stadium, Kolkata. India had lost the first Test, which was quite expected as the Aussies had the "Invincible" tag around their neck. We were expected to lose the second test again, as its too unrealistic to expect victory after being asked to follow-on. And then the miracle happened.

India won the 2nd Test, Laxman scoring a mammoth 281.

Till this happened, Laxman to me was just another Indian batsman, who sometimes opened the innings, scored 30 or 40, and then gave his wicket away to some rash shot. He was always regarded as a stylish stroke player, but never a match winner. Moreover, critics had always slammed him for lack of proper technique and had regarded him unsuitable for Test Matches. He was always a run-getter in the domestic circuit, but he failed to get big scores in the International Arena.

This, however, changed with that historic epic innings.

Almost a decade has passed since then, but Laxman's role in the team hasn't changed. He is still the savior when the team is in dire strait. You expect Sachin, Sehwag and Gambhir to blast centuries when the pitch is conducive for batting. However, when your top batsmen are back to the pavilion with not even a 100 on board. you will expect Laxman to stay on with the tail-enders, and provide a match-saving innings. He may not be technically correct like Dravid, nor he is a century maker like Tendulkar, and neither is he as explosive as Sehwag, but he is one player India will always find tough to replace.

After all, saviors are not born everyday.