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The nice guy of Indian cricket

In his international career spanning 16 years, VVS Laxman never courted a controversy.

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Gaurav Kanthwal

In his international career spanning 16 years, VVS Laxman never courted a controversy. It must have been, then, difficult for Laxman to create a buzz around the launch of the book.

 So, in the run-up to the release of his autobiography, 281 and Beyond, Laxman tried recounting his role in monkey-gate, did some Greg Chappell bashing, and also talked about “the first and only controversy” of his career. On the day of his retirement, the media blamed skipper MS Dhoni for Laxman’s shocking retirement.

What clicked in the end was the goodwill this gentle giant had earned through his ‘Very Very Special’ style of batting. Seven years after his retirement, the book, co-authored by R Kaushik, comes as a pleasant treat to his fans.

‘Lachi’ or ‘Lax,’ as he was called by his teammates, had an affable personality on and off the field. Fans remember him for his wrist-work, effortless timing and elegant stroke play. Sachin Tendulkar was worshipped for his class, Rahul Dravid was adored for his temperament and Sourav Ganguly had an aggression that his fans admired him for. But Laxman was looked upon for his batsmanship which was a treat to the eyes. It is those moments of exquisiteness, which the fans would expect to relive in the book.

However, the humble man is not the one to boast. Though he does talk about the impact of his memorable knocks on his career. The elegant Hyderabadi terms his knock of 167 against Australia in the second innings of the Sydney Test in 2000 as career-defining. Coming after 29 Test innings and almost three years of playing as an opener, the century gave him the courage to say no to the opening role, even if that meant risking his place in the side. 

His marathon, match-winning knock of 281 runs against Australia at the Eden Gardens in 2001, from where the book derives its title, finds a mention many times in the book, highlighting the significance of this knock in his career. “What I and the team learnt from that match was to never give up,” Laxman notes in the book. His unbeaten 73 against Australia in Mohali in 2010 holds a special place in his heart.

Often, cricketers are exalted to the heights of demigods, but their emotions too well up when they see their loved ones praying for them to achieve glory. Laxman gives an emotional recount of his knock of 178 runs against Australia in the Sydney Test in 2004, when his parents watched him live for the first time. His childlike desperation to hit a century will touch chord with readers.

On the personal front, the 44-year-old veteran, who wanted to become a doctor, has been painted as a religious man deeply attached to his family. Not winning the Ranji Trophy title for Hyderabad and failing to make to the World Cup team in his 16-year career will remain his lifelong regrets.

Laxman's autobiography, just like his batting, is expected to be exquisite in style, but Kaushik has dead-batted the use of a flowery language. He has, instead, gone for a certain flow in the narrative, which makes reading an effortless exercise. Kaushik, a veteran cricket writer, has left no loose ends in description. Even minute, inconsequential details have been registered assiduously.

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