How VVS Laxman Inspired India

[hawkeye]

Where does Laxman's innings of 13 years ago stand in the spectrum of great test innings? Can it be compared to an innings like Lara's 153 or any of the other great test innings?

Thirteen years ago exactly, at the Eden Gardens, Calcutta, the mighty Australians were locked in conflict with an Indian team they had easily disposed of less than two weeks before. The visitors had won the first test at the Wankhede Stadium by 10 wickets in less than three days, and had India in a corner when they asked them to follow-on 274 runs behind.

What came next was nothing short of a miracle. VVS Laxman, whose 167 at Sydney in January 2000 was then the lone test hundred to his name, played the innings of his life. Last out for 59, batting at six in the first innings, he was promoted to three in the second and arrived at the wicket with India 52/1. From there he fashioned an innings as unlikely and as sublime as the cricketing world had ever seen, guiding his side to 657/7 declared. His 281 lasted 452 balls and spanned 632 minutes, and in the company of Rahul Dravid, with whom he had switched places in the batting order, constructed a platform from which they contrived a most improbable victory.

How VVS Inspired India

 

[PokerAce]

Where does Laxman's innings of 13 years ago stand in the spectrum of great test innings? Can it be compared to an innings like Lara's 153 or any of the other great test innings?


How VVS Inspired India

What are the requirements for a great innings.

1) Came in a hopeless situation - Yes
2) Against a World Class Attack - Yes
3) Was not in vain, and helped turn the tables and won the match from a hopeless situation - Yes

What else do you need. Of course its one of the greatest test innings of all times.

 

[Parmesh killer]

Yes it was best. I think he can also coach Indian team.

 

[surendar]

Very first couple of things that I got to know about VVS when I was seeing him play during childhood,

1 - This guy always play well against Aussies in specific( started with that 90+ innings with Sidhu )
2 - He is irritating when comes to running between the wickets, after all he was scolded by Little Master(Tendulkar) during the famous Sharjah storm-qualifying match vs Aussies for not responding to quick doubles.


Although the second point persisted till the last, VVS is definitely one of the great elegant bloke to watch when comes to playing test matches. Dravid & VVS always provided the defensive wall to rely on for our middle/lower order batsmen & there is definitely a vulnerable gap in our batting now after their departures from Indian cricket!