Venkat Laxman rates Durban win as one of the best of his career
Indian run machine and the proverbial man of crisis Venkat Laxman is a content man after leading his team to a series leveling win against the South Africans in the second test match of the three match series. India won the match by 87
runs.
The Indians who were tormented by an innings defeat in the opening test at the Centurion made a startling comeback to level the series; the South Africans endured a twin batting failure after amassing 620/4 in the only innings of the first
test match.
The lively wicket at Durban was a cause of concern for both batting camps as the match ended well inside the fourth day. The highest score in all four innings was 228 managed by the Indians through a fighting 96, by man of the match Laxman.
A day after India finished the win; Laxman rated his effort as one of the very best of a glittering test career. "Everyone talks about Durban being the place where http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 puts the opposition under pressure, even though the results
haven't been going their way recently. It gives us a lot of satisfaction to have beaten them in these conditions."
Laxman said the conditions in Durban were the supreme test of Indian batsmen's skill and temperament. "You have got a pace-bowling attack that is one of the best in the world at the moment. Then the conditions were ideal for them, where
the ball was seaming, and there was bounce that we are not used to because most of the time we play on subcontinent wickets. Even abroad you don't usually get wickets that have such steep bounce."
Laxman who has the knack of establishing crucial partnerships with tail-enders in the longest format of the game, once again delivered in demanding conditions at Durban.
He was involved in stunning partnerships with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 a few months ago. The last two players held firm with Laxman on that occasion, scoring 90 odd to win an incredible
test for the hosts.
In Durban he added 70 odd with Zaheer Khan in an absorbing 8th wicket stand that turned the tide in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750’s favour.
After the win he shed some light on his tactics whilst batting with tail-enders, "We set ourselves small targets without looking at getting a 30-run or a 50-run partnership. We're just looking to have a five-run partnership or survive one over, and then
take it five overs at a time or something like that. The most important thing knows what they are comfortable with and that's something I've learnt to do over the years.
If I know that a batsman is not comfortable with a certain bowler then I don't give them strike. But if they're comfortable, then I definitely give them the strike because the scoreboard keeps moving and the pressure suddenly shifts from us to the opposition.”
Laxman has played a key role in India’s recent test wins; besides the Durban and Mohali performances he produced another memorable knock in the third and final test against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 earlier in the year.
The Hyderabadi was suffering from serious back trouble, yet he held firm on his way to a match winning hundred that helped drawing the series against the Sri Lankans.
For long he has remained the unsung hero of Indian cricket, yet there is no denying the fact that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/VVS-Laxman-c2772 is as important to the test team as Sachin Tendulkar since, when the chips are down, Laxman becomes the Bradman of India.
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