A Very, Very Sad Exit

A few months ago the fourth test between India and Australia that ended with a 298 run defeat for India would have been just one of those matches where nothing went right for India. Seven months later that one single test becomes one of its kinds as it marks the exit of two of the greatest Indian cricketers- Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. 

VVS Laxman bid adieu to a game that became better thanks to his presence. His sixteen-year long international career is one of the most important in the history of modern Indian cricket. Along with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, Laxman formed the golden generation of cricketers who took Indian cricket to its greatest glory. Known for his long innings like the iconic 281 not out against Australia in Eden Gardens in 2001 where he and Rahul Dravid scripted one of the greatest comebacks in Test cricket, Laxman’s name brings up images of a batsman who was nothing short of magic. His name means much more than mere numbers or records. In fact VVS a sight created by gods interested in cricket. 

Laxman showed the makings of a great cricketer right from the time debuted against South Africa in 1996 with a crafty half-century. And although it’d take him almost five years before cracking his first test century, the decade that followed would see him one of the soundest batsmen ever. No single batsman has troubled Australia at its peak of being the best test playing side in the world as much as VVS Laxman. Right from the 2000 series where he notched up 167 Laxman has been the only player whom the Aussies couldn’t crack till the 2011 tour. With his sublime 281 not out at Eden Gardens, 2001, or the masterly 178 at Sydney in 2004, Laxman has been better than his best when he took on the best. To shine in the company of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar isn’t an easy task and on many occasion Laxman has outdone both. He and Dravid have been the mainstay of Indian test side ever since the present generation can remember and their absence in the upcoming series against New Zealand would be deep. 

The manner in which Laxman called it quits will no doubt raise some serious questions. Laxman hasn’t played ODIs for years now and since he got back from Australia there hasn’t been a test match. So for months when everyone else was playing ODIs and IPL Laxman was toiling away in the nets. He was pushing his 37-year-old body beyond its limits in order to prep for not only the NZ series but also the so-called revenge series with England. The selectors picked him for the first two tests but somewhere sent a message that he should quit gracefully following the first match at Hyderbad, his home ground. Had the selectors or even the captain taken the trouble to tell Laxman about this ‘arrangement’, he wouldn’t have looked forward to the entire season. And when he got the wind of this he announced his immediate retirement.

Since the drubbing in Australia many former greats like Kapil Dev are braying for the blood of the seniors. Everyone’s been suggesting that Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman’s time was up and as always no one has the guts to tell Tendulkar to call it quits. Kapil Dev tagged along for two long years to best Sir Richard Hadlee’s record of being the highest wicket taker before hanging up his boots but had no qualms in asking others to gracefully quit. Even Sourav Ganguly went to town saying that Laxman didn’t enjoy MS Dhoni’s confidence after Laxman mentioned that he couldn’t get in touch with his captain before announcing his retirement. Like his best batting buddy Dravid, Laxman too chose a press conference and a not a test match to quit. He didn’t want a tamasha that would suggest everything that his captain and the selectors didn’t mean. VVS Laxman has been the a great cricketer all through his career and the manner in which he moved on he showed that only VVS Laxman, the person, could better the man in white. 

This article was originally written for Buzz in Town.

Image- Guardian