Always a hero, never a star!
Cricket has always been based on three foundation stones—-character, commitment and charisma. Whilst many players may score on the statistics scale, they fail miserably on the character yardstick. Ricky Ponting definitely has the statistic to back him up while VVS Laxman has the THREE Cs firmly planted on his mind. While the so-called Sehwags and Dhonis of the world go for big shots, quick singles, Laxman literally bats in a bubble of his own. He would not go for an impossible single and would not sprint for the second run, won’t enter into a barage of words with the bowlers and does his work with a touch of finesse, in a world where aggressive intent is the name of the game. Not that VVS is not aggressive-personified, just that his way of showcasing is different.
As the shots begin to flow from the Hyderabadi artist’s willow, the crowd, dressing room and the opposition can only sit back and enjoy the show, even if the third group of characters mentioned would be seething to get rid of him. Laxman may not possess the flamboyance of Yuvraj Singh but garners enormous respect the Indian dressing room, something the former may not boast of.
Another highlight of his career has been his spot in the team. For the better part of his career, Laxman came at No. 6 which meant he was required the guide the tail, a job which many may have shunned. But the soft-spoken right-hander has made a living out of this. On Tuesday, at Durban, Laxman batted with the tail and gave a ray of hope for skipper Dhoni to square the series. His innings showcased character, commitment and charisma, so lacking in some of the youngsters who continue to share the dressing room with him but fail to learn from the artist.
For many students of the game, Laxman is the professor who does have his share of bad days at the office, but on the day his willow weaves its magic, it’s a sight to behold. He may not possess the starry attitude but his heroic exploits on the field would give many on-screen heroes a lesson or two.
No bad
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