Tag Archives: VVS Laxman retirement

Very Very Special Goodbye!

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During the stage of my late childhood when I was trying to learn and understand that game of cricket, successful Indian players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Javagal Srinath and Mohammad Azaharuddin were at the peak of their careers. Due to this, no matter how many great or greater players emerged after them, players in the above mentioned elite list will always hold a special place in my memory.

So whenever a player from that list announces retirement, it certainly comes as a blow. The same happened when VVS Laxman announced his retirement yesterday, although this was on the cards after India’s tour to England and Australia. But those two unsuccessful tours can in no way be considered a dark spot over his career due to the huge number of glorious moments he has given to team India.

Having said this, many would be surprised that my very first memory of Laxman wasn’t a pleasant one. This was in 1996 in the first test match against South Africa in Ahmedabad, which was Laxman’s debut. After his failure in the first innings, I thought it wasn’t a good idea to have him in the playing eleven as I wasn’t sure about his technique. However, he made me swallow my opinion in the second innings when he scored a half century and led India’s fightback with Anil Kumble. How delighted I was to have been proved wrong!

This was just the first step of Laxman’s remarkable career. His brilliant timing along with his wristy flicks impressed cricket fans world over. Thinking about his career, the first innings that comes to mind is his earth-shattering 281 against Australia in the second test at Eden Gardens in 2001. Laxman, along with Rahul Dravid, shook the cricketing world with an unthinkable fight back. India’s victory was just the second instance in the history of test cricket where a team managed to win a match after being asked to follow on. Laxman wasn’t considered a one-day match specialist but his brilliant form in this test series forced the selectors to include him in the ODIs that followed.

From the Eden Garden innings onwards, he came to be known as India’s ideal man for crisis. He lived up to the title in the years to come by bailing India out of trouble time and again. With his retirement, team India will miss the bailing out ability of one of India’s greatest batsmen.

Here’s a big thank you to VVS with the hope that his career becomes an inspiration for the generations to come.

Have a look at the highlights of Laxman’s memorable innings of 281 against Australia: –

 

Are Indian cricket fans, experts Amnesic?

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India’s performance in Australia in the ongoing Agneepath series has indeed been hugely disappointing. However, I am pained to see the way Indian cricket fans and so-called cricket experts are reacting.

Just over nine months back on the night of April 2, the whole of India literally worshipped Team India after they lifted the World Cup 2011. Just two bad series (in England and Australia) and the same people are reacting as if Team India is worse than minnows. What right do you have to call yourself an Indian supporter if you can’t support your team when it requires the most? After all, support is needed the most when a person or a thing is struggling. The difference between an Indian supporter and an Indian fan (who just likes to see the team winning) is proved once again!

It is even more disheartening to see the way the most experienced players – Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman – are been forced to retire! How right is it to humiliate them in this manner for their age old services for the team? The fact that some of the ex-players are involved in these forceful tactics is even more shocking considering their knowledge and experience.

Tendulkar’s contribution to Indian cricket is known far and wide. He has been consistently scoring runs. His fitness level is clearly visible. So, if he wants to continue playing, what is wrong in it? For your kind information, he is India’s leading run scorer even in the current series!

There is no doubt even Dravid has been one of the greatest Indian batsmen ever and even he is scoring runs, although not much in this series. He was also the only one who showed some resistance in the England tour. So again, how can we force him to retire if he is scoring runs and wants to play? In Laxman’s case, I agree he has not been scoring runs but that doesn’t mean one should forget his talent and record and compel him to hang his boots!

In my personal opinion, it is Virendra Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir who are more responsible as they have failed to build a platform as openers. Especially in the case of Sehwag, he has been in terrible form but we are just busy pointing fingers at the ‘big three’.

Before this series, all types of cool adjectives were used for Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his captaincy, especially after winning the World Cup. There have also been debates going on whether he is the best Indian captain ever. It is a mixture of shame and amnesia that after just two bad series, even he has been indirectly forced to step down as captain!

Apart from their performance, team India has also been demoralized by the reactions and forceful tactics of the public and ex-players before the start of the fourth test match at Adelaide.

P.S: – People laughed at me when I continued to support India despite their shameful exit from the 2007 World Cup. I laughed back at them in the same year when we won the T20 World Cup and other series which followed after that. I am quite sure I will get a chance to laugh once again!