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VVS Laxman may announce retirement on Saturday

August 18, 2012

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Hyderabad, August 18: It all began 16 years ago against the visiting South Africans in Ahmedabad. After 134 matches and 17 hundreds, Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman's Test journey is likely to end at home with the first Test against New Zealand to be played from Aug 23 to 27.

"Laxman has decided to announce his retirement from international cricket on Saturday. He spoke to me this morning and said he is quitting Test cricket," one of his former teammates told ToI on Friday.

"Asked if it was a sudden decision, Laxman said that he had been thinking about the move for some time now and felt it was time to take a final call," the source added. "Laxman said that he will continue to play domestic cricket for another two or three years. He is keen on revamping the Hyderabad team and grooming youngsters."

Laxman's first coach John Manoj of St John's Sports Coaching Foundation, where Laxman learnt his art, said: "Yes, Laxman spoke to me about it. We had a long chat on the issue."

Laxman has been keen on hanging up his willow this season. "Though he has been selected for both Tests against New Zealand, I think Laxman is most likely to quit after the Hyderabad Test," John added.

"Playing one Test less or more won't make much of a difference to his stature. But the thrill of calling it quits in front of his home crowd is any day a wonderful experience for any player. Laxman's timing has always been perfect and I am sure this time too he will hit the bull's eye," John said.

According to John, Laxman wants the youngsters to cement their places in the Indian team. "With India playing a lot of Tests at home this season, he feels it is proper that youngsters get a chance to hone their skills on subcontinent wickets rather than being thrown to the wolves abroad," John said.

"Laxman has always been a selfless cricketer and a hardcore team man. He doesn't want to come in the way of Team India rebuilding itself. He wants the team management to have the chance of getting a core group going again," he added.

It has been 25 years since John first spotted the talent in a young lad brought to his camp by his uncle.

"It was in 1987 that his uncle Baba brought the 11-year-old Laxman to the camp and we knew that this lad had something 'very very special'. And over the years he has proved to be India's most reliable batsman. It is a matter of great pride for all of us here," John told TOI.

Laxman went on to live up to his nickname - 'Very Very Special' - as he became part of the famous batting quartet also comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravidwhich ruled Indian cricket for more than a decade.

Laxman got his first Test half-century (51) in the second innings of his debut match against the South Africans but it took him another 29 innings before he got his first Test hundred - afabulous 167 against Australia in the Sydney Test.

Since then Laxman has gone on to get 16 more hundreds while notching up a total of 56 half-centuries, with his highest being the monumental 281 against Australia in Kolkata which destroyed Australian captain Steve Waugh's dream of conquering the 'Final Frontier'.

Laxman has since been a thorn in Australia's flesh more than once. Barring the last series Down Under when he could manage only 155 in eight innings, Laxman has time and again taken on the Aussie challenge and come on top. He has 2434 runs against them at an average of 49.67. His splendid form against the reigning Test team was one of the reasons for India's ascendancy to the top spot in Test cricket.

Laxman till date, has played 134 Tests, amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. The Hyderabadi has always had a pair of safe hands and has pouched 135 Test catches too.

Thriving under pressure has been Laxman's forte. Every time he was dropped, Laxman bounced back with a vengeance and made his bite their words. The Damocles' sword was always hanging on his head but instead of letting it pull him down, Laxman converted it into his strength and went on to carve a nice for himself.

Laxman is one batsman who has batted in all positions barring No.9 and 11. He loves to bat at the No.3 position, where he has 1611 runs to his credit, but made himself comfortable at the No.5 and 6 positions where he got most of his runs (2877 and 2760). It's unlikely that there will be another VVS soon.

Very Very Special Numbers

Test debut: vs South Africa at Ahmedabad, 1996

M - 134; Runs - 8,781; Avg - 45.97; 100s - 17; Top Score - 281

ODI debut: vs Zimbabwe at Cuttack, 1998

M - 81; Runs - 2,338; Avg - 30.76; 100s - 6; Top Score - 131

First-class debut: 1992-93

M - 265; Runs - 19,520; Avg - 51.5; 100s - 54; Top Scores - 353

The other big names in India who called it quits post 2000

Rahul Dravid - Retired in March 2012 aged 39

Tests - M: 164; Runs: 13288; Hs: 270; Avg: 52.31; 100s: 36; 50s: 63

ODIs - M: 344; Runs: 10889; Hs: 153; Avg: 39.16; 100s: 12; 50s: 83

Like Sachin Tendulkar, he seemed to be enjoying a great second wind and it appeared that way as Dravid was the only Indian to shine in India's 0-4 rout against England in England, aggregating 461 runs in four Tests with three tons. He followed that up with a good series at home against West Indies too but post the defeat Down Under, he decided enough

was enough.

Sourav Ganguly - Retired in Nov 2008 aged 36

Tests - M: 113; Runs: 7212; Hs: 239; Avg: 42.17; 100s: 16; 50s: 35

ODIs - M: 311; Runs: 11363; Hs: 183; Avg: 41.02; 100: 22; 50: 72

The moment Krish Srikkanth took over as the new chief selector, he was brought back for the four-Test series of Australia at home. On the eve of the first Test in Bangalore, though, Ganguly announced that the series would be his last. He signed off on a high, scoring a brilliant hundred in the second Test in Mohali and a strokeful 85 in the first innings of the last Test in Nagpur.

Anil Kumble - Retired in Oct 2008 aged 38

Tests - M: 132; Wkts: 619; Best: 10/74; Avg: 29.65; 5w: 35

ODIs - M: 271; Wkts: 337; Best: 6/12; Avg: 30.89; 5w: 2

Appointed captain at the age of 37 after Rahul Dravid quit the job, Kumble led with distinction in Australia, where his diplomatic skills salvaged some acrimonious situations during the 'Monkeygate' controversy and the defeat in Sydney. A shoulder injury made him pave the way for Dhoni to lead in the second Test in Mohali. He returned but split the webbing in his left hand, prompting him to announce the retirement.

Javagal Srinath - Retired in Nov 2003 aged 34

Tests - M: 67; Wkts: 236; Best: 8/86; Avg: 30.49; 5w: 10

ODIs - M: 229; Wkts: 315; Best: 5/23; Avg: 28.08; 5w: 3

He had briefly retired after India's tour to West Indies in 2002 and was persuaded to return by then-skipper Sourav Ganguly. He did so and bowled well in India in the Tests against West Indies. His decision to pull out of the Test series on spicy wickets in New Zealand in 2002-03 didn't go down well with the team management. His dipping fitness finally prompted him to call it quits.



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Agencies
August 3,2020

Silverstone, Aug 2: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on Sunday won his seventh British Grand Prix title after a dramatic last-lap at the Silverstone Circuit.

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News Network
February 24,2020

Feb 24: India captain Virat Kohli had no qualms in admitting that his team was outplayed by New Zealand in the opening Test but said they "can't help" if a few want to make a "big deal" out of the 10-wicket defeat. Hosts New Zealand thrashed India by 10 wickets at the Basin Reverse on Monday to go 1-0 ahead in the two-match series. This was India's first defeat in the World Test Championship, coming after two inept batting efforts. "We know we haven't played well but if people want to make a big deal out of it, make a mountain out of it, we can't help it as we don't think like that," the skipper said at the post-match media interaction.

Kohli said he fails to comprehend why one Test match defeat should be made to look like the end of the world for his team.

"For some people, it might be the end of the world but it's not. For us, it's a game of cricket that we lost and we move on and keep our heads high," Kohli said.

It is the acceptance of defeat that defines the character of a side, the world's premier batsman said.

"We understand that we need to play well to win, also at home. There's no cakewalk at international level as teams will come and beat you. You accept it and that defines our character as a side."

It is the acceptance of defeat that defines the character of a side, the world's premier batsman said. "We understand that we need to play well to win, also at home. There's no cakewalk at international level as teams will come and beat you. You accept it and that defines our character as a side."

If he had given credence to the "outside chatter", he said the team wouldn't have been where it is now.

"That's why we have been able to play this kind of cricket. If we would have paid attention to the outside chatter, we would again be at No. 7 or 8 in the rankings. We don't really bother about what people are saying on the outside," the skipper said.

One defeat can't make a team, which has been winning games of Test cricket, "bad overnight".

"If we have lost then we have no shame in accepting that. It means we didn't play this game well. It doesn't mean that we have become a bad team overnight. People might want to change our thoughts, but it doesn't work like that."

The self-belief is intact and Kohli was confident the team would come back stronger in the second Test, to be held in Christchurch in four days time.

"We will work hard, and after four days play just like we have played all these years. Just because we have lost one match in between all wins, doesn't mean that the belief is gone. The dressing room thinks differently and team atmosphere is different."

Kohli felt that there is a very thin line between being ultra-defensive and over-attacking, something that his team didn't get it right in this Test match.

"New Zealand got into the mind of the batsmen and make the batsmen do something that they don't want to. think that's a very thin line and a very delicate balance of when to attack and when to put bowlers under pressure which we failed to do in this match and there is no harm in accepting that."

According to Kohli, it was a combination of both good bowling from the Kiwis and Indian batsmen not putting the pressure back on bowlers, which led to the drubbing.

"That has got to do with partly good bowling from New Zealand and partly us not pressing that momentum on to them when required. "It was perfect for them because they bowled well and we allowed them to bowl well for longer periods rather than doing something about it in a partnership."

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Agencies
August 2,2020

New Delhi, Aug 2: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Sunday said the Women's IPL or the Challenger series, as it is better known, is "very much on", ending speculation about the parent body not having a plan for Harmanpreet Kaur and her team.

The men's IPL will be held between September 19 and November 8 or 10 (final date yet to be locked in) in the UAE due to the surge in Covid-19 cases in India. The women's IPL will also be fit in to the schedule, according to the BCCI chief.

"I can confirm to you that the women's IPL is very much on and we do have a plan in place for the national team also," Ganguly told PTI ahead of the IPL Governing Council meeting later on Sunday.

The BCCI president, who is awaiting a Supreme Court verdict on waiver of the cooling-off period to continue in the position, did not divulge details but another senior official privy to the development said that women's Challenger will be held during the last phase of IPL like last year.

"The women's Challenger series is likely to be held between November 1-10 and there could be a camp before that," the source said.

The former India captain also said that the centrally contracted women players will have a camp which has been delayed due to the prevailing situation in the country.

"We couldn't have exposed any of our cricketers -- be it male or female to health risk. It would have been dangerous," Ganguly said.

"The NCA also remained shut because of Covid-19. But we have a plan in place and we will have a camp for women, I can tell you that," he added.

The BCCI's cricket operations team is chalking up a schedule where Indian women are likely to have two full-fledged white-ball series against South Africa and the West Indies before playing the ODI World Cup in New Zealand. 

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