Do Fans Fully Appreciate Genius?-VVS Laxman

VVS Laxman

I must admit I get very heated up when people laud these flat track romps. Like the recent ones by A.B.DeVilliers,Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum. Don’t get me wrong they are very noteworthy by the powers of concentration needed to score such hefty scores,but they pale into insignificance against other innings I have seen.For the reason that the level of difficulty of these innings weren’t as high as others that I have seen.Like for example I would rate Guddapa Viswanath’s brilliant 97 against a rampant Andy Roberts in 74/5 in Madras much higher than DeVilliers 277 on a ‘Route 66′ pitch in the desert.To me it is hard to chose an innings that stands out for I have watched and listened to the game since 1953,but VVS Laxman‘s innings of 281 at Kolkata in 01.Truly stands out for me for its brilliance and to be frank sublime genius……..In those days I didn’t have pay television so listened to the game on the Radio and the one thing you rely on when you listen to this medium is sound.You can’t take in pictures to capture a moment…The Indian’s had been made to follow on with a deficit of 274.So you can see that they were under the cosh.Like now,the same as it was then and to be honest will be forever,Sachin Tendulkar was the man that every Indian hung their hopes on.So when he strolled in the roar as always was deafening, but when he feathered one off Jason Gillespie. The silence was just as deafening.For you could feel in your minds eye. That the Indian’s had seen their last hope in this game go and with him certain defeat was on their doorsteps….So VVS Laxman was at the crease and looking very assured.Though he was a player who was victimised by Indian selectors and though Indian fans had started to warm to him after a great career saving century again Australia previously.Still had doubts about his pedigree……..

What was to be witnessed was genius that I have rarely seen on a cricket ground in batting except from the true icons of the game like Sobers,Pollock,Lara and the like……..Everyone knows and will forever know he scored 281 and India won one of the most remarkable games of test cricket that has ever been witnessed.

Though it was how he got those runs, that after lead a man regarded as one of the best bowlers ever in Shane Warne to say these words:‘That he was clueless about how to stop Laxman…’I never saw the innings till after on Youtube,but listening to it was truly remarkable.You have to understand that this pitch was turning big and turning sharply.So it was taylor made for Warne.Though after Laxman caressed boundary after boundary against the spin through the on side through a sublime flick of his wrists.Warne tried to dry them up by stacking the legside field and bowling into the footmarks outside leg…No problem for VVS,he just with his masterful footwork opened his stance and hit the ball inside out through the offside…

Such was his mastery of Warne that the ‘Sheikh of Tweek’ was going at nearly 5 runs an over.You’d struggle to find a time that this has happened outside his initial games of his career?

Even against two very fine fast bowlers and one of the greatest in Glenn McGrath.He just treated them though they were pie throwers in a circus.In truth form a purists point of view this innings is hard to top for he hit every ball on the ground.Plus every shot was made possible through his genius footwork and impeccable placement.Then the pressure of the game which was intense has to have it rated as one of the best ever….To me id struggle to think of a better one…….Maybe Garfield Sobers unbeaten113 against a rampant John Snow on a pitch with cracks the size of the Grand Canyon in 68 at Jamaica is comparable