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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