The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Laxman's welcome return to form

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Monday, Sep 13, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

Laxman's welcome return to form

By Vijay Lokapally

SOUTHAMPTON, SEPT. 12. Grace returned to the Indian batting line-up thanks to V. V. S. Laxman's artistic effort. True, it was not the kind of knock that would raise his stock in world cricket as he has played innings of greater maturity and finesse. This was, however, played with the sole aim of finding his rhythm again and along with it the habit of making runs at a rapid pace.

About his past few visits to the middle, Laxman said, "I know I have not been able to make the most of it after some good starts. I have not been able to translate those starts into big scores that would help my batting overall, but I am working on certain aspects of my batting.'' His scores of 12, 37, 29, 33 and nine were followed by a 79 against Kenya on Saturday.

Like his batting style, Laxman had made a simple assessment of himself. With a delectable swing of the bat, he can make good deliveries look ordinary and in a flash he would be gone too with a flashy stroke. That is Laxman, who like Mohammad Azharuddin often wastes good starts and helpful batting conditions.

Class and style

Of course, Laxman is also known to adapt and innovate. The Aussies know it better than any other team and even rate him higher than Sachin Tendulkar. He is in a class of his own, a unique blend of timing and aggression that make him a dreaded figure with the bat in hand.

For the gentle Hyderabadi, who would have been as dexterous as a surgeon if he had chosen to become a doctor like his father, batting is a means to provide joy to those who can differentiate between batting and quality batting. That Laxman puts value to high quality batting is acknowledged by critics the world over, but there are very few who know that he has silent admirers even among the opposition.

He has a trademark brisk walk to the middle. It conveys his confidence and motivation to perform. However, he looked jaded when he was asked to open the innings with Sourav Ganguly at Lord's against England. Fortunately, it was just a one-off arrangement as Laxman doesn't like to open the innings.

"I knew it was a one-off thing really. The team management wanted Sehwag to bat in the middle-order. We thought that was the best way to enable Sehwag get back to form. There was no other option, really. Only I had the experience of having opened in this team. Since it was a one-day game and just one match, I accepted the responsibility. This does not mean I will open in Tests. I will never open in Test matches.''

Laxman was back to his normal self at the Rose Bowl when he dealt with the Kenyan attack in a way known only to him. There were some ugly slogs, a shot which does not come naturally to him. But then, he knows it is part of the job and deals with such situations realistically.

"Once in a while there is no harm in trying to innovate in the interest of the team because such short breaks from your natural style don't influence your overall game.''

Welcome news

Laxman's return to form at the Rose Bowl was the best news for the Indian camp in these distressing times when injuries have left the team without Sachin Tendulkar and L. Balaji. Even Laxman was troubled by a painful knee sometime back and was a worried man. But now that he is fit and has found his regal touch, it is the bowlers' tribe that is worried now.

His immediate concerns are not individual. He thinks and speaks for everyone. "As far as the team is concerned, we have not been consistent but then we are working in this area. We are beginning to jell and that is more important. Our performance at Lord's showed that we can do well if the effort is collective. With the batting looking in good shape, things look rosy.''

With seven days left for the next match against Pakistan and Laxman looking in ominous touch, the Pakistan bowlers might be having nightmares ahead of the game. In fact, bowlers the world over have experienced such nightmares. They dread the sight of Laxman, the darling of those who value class and style in batting. There's absolutely no doubt that Laxman signifies the very essence of entertaining batting.

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