Tribute to the wristy elegance of Indian cricket

The void in the Indian Test team gets bigger and bigger after the subsequent retirement of the pillars of Indian Test cricket. The likes of Dravids and Laxmans hanging their boots and making way for the new lads to take over. But yesterday it was a very very special man who called it a day. The man known for thriving in the uttermost demanding and languishing moments of Test cricket; a crisis manager of team India, as they say, or whose wristy elegance cricket fans around the globe will miss from here on.

I am refraining myself from getting into the incredible statistics that VVS Laxman has achieved over 16 years of sheer class and elegance, as everyone I assume would have already read them through various facets of media about this true champion and stalwart of the game.

Laxman has always been the man to whom the entire team and Indian cricket fans have looked up to to salvage them out of a crisis. In fact, Laxman himself has many times accepted the fact that he vouches for testing times. Under such situations, he has always backed his game, his abilities and thrived under withering situations that team Indian found itself in. With Laxman in the middle, one was always guaranteed of some classic wristy display of cricketing shots with great ease and elegance. This man is a real treat to watch in the original format of the game. VVS has never been a copy book shot-maker, but such uniqueness of a man amazed many cricket experts – the way he used his wrists to his advantage, played shots with minimal footwork and still managed to play longer innings – was indeed ingenious of VVS Laxman. How elegant one can look while leaning for the cover drives or wristy on-drives and flicks down the leg-side and his incredible feat in 2^nd slip. He has always been outstanding there and converted some unbelievable chances. Also not to forgot his ability to play and encourage tail-enders while batting through the lean patches of Test matches. His incredible gumption against the mighty Australians is well-known and well-admired around the cricketing world.

His demeanor in and off the field is something for youngsters to look upon and emulate in the middle. He, along with Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar are easily the most calm and composed individuals who have occupied team India’s dressing room. I am not sure how the selectors will take VVS’s sudden decision to retire from Test cricket which has created an irreplaceable void. It will take years of experience or may be not for any youngster to fill such incredible shoes in the game of cricket.

For his selfless game, humility, gestures and contribution to the Indian cricket, I pay my tribute to this wonderful human being, a true champion and a great ambassador of the game. Well Played VVS !