Another Indian legend bids goodbye
So, after 134 Tests, 17 centuries and innumerable other innings that inspired great escapes and famous victories, VVS Laxman has called it a day. With Rahul Dravid having already gone and ten home Tests looming, the changing of the guard that many Indian cricket fans feared is finally upon us. Others will welcome the fact that the youngsters that replace two of the legends of the game will get a series or two in familiar conditions to prove their worth.
After a poor series in England last summer – he batted beautifully in patches, but never carried on to a big score – and a disappointing tour of Australia, Laxman’s place in the side had come under increasing scrutiny. That he should be one of the first to be singled out was inevitable. It has always been that way.
Despite pouching some stunning catches in the slip cordon, Laxman had always been seen as a liability in the field. Not fleet of foot and with both knees having been operated on, he was the outfielder a captain had to try and hide. It didn’t matter that those years younger were as unathletic, or nowhere near as alert in the slips.
With the bat, the double standards could be even more pronounced. Laxman’s standards may have slipped in England and Australia, but he was far from alone in that. In England, only Dravid and Tendulkar, to a much lesser extent, excelled. In Australia, Virat Kohli was the lone saving grace, with Tendulkar again showing hints of class. Everyone else was on a sinking ship.
Yet, you won’t hear much about Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, or anyone else that was badly exposed on those tours. The calls for youth to be given its fling mainly targetted only Laxman. Despite a string of brilliant innings in 2010-11 – a series-equalling century in Sri Lanka, a match winning 73 at Mohali and a decisive 96 in Durban – it was the man who could make batting look almost effortless at times that was considered expendable.
Ihave no quibbles with those that thought it was time for Laxman to go. But it’s hard to make sense of statements that suggested he should step aside for the sake of a youngster. A player’s job is to perform when selected. And as long as he feels he has something to contribute, he will make himself available for selection. Planning for the future and making succession plans is the task of the selection panel. It was they that picked Laxman for the New Zealand series. If anyone failed the next generation, it was them, and not Laxman.
In any case, Kohli aside, not one batsman from generation next has made a convincing case to be part of the side. Suresh Raina’s travails are well-documented, and it’s hard to fathom what exactly he’s done since England last summer to merit a recall to the Test team. CheteshwarPujara shone on debut against Australia, but found international cricket a whole lot harder when confronted with Dale Steyn at his most menacing in South Africa.
AbhinavMukund, AjinkyaRahane and Rohit Sharma couldn’t even make runs against West Indies A. ManojTiwary averaged 30 in the same series. One of them will now get the home season or a part of it to stake a claim. But it’s selection by default rather than a cap truly earned. It’s up to them to prove that they belong in the orbit that VVS is now vacating.
The numbers don’t suggest an all-time great – an average of just under 46 is nothing exceptional in this bat-friendly age – but don’t let them cloud your judgment. After making next to no impact in his first 20 Tests, Laxman was pivotal to India’s climb up the rankings from 2001. Few were as adept at managing crisis situations. He would have averaged more had he batted higher in the order – the famous 281 was made from No.3 – but by the end, he was more than reconciled to a different role that he had made his own. For that, and the amazing grace he showed on and off the field, we should be eternally grateful.
Dileep Premachandran is editor-in-chief of Wisden India