Australia’s Very Very Special nemesis

Does VVS Laxman enjoy playing Tests against Australia? Yes, he does. But does he also enjoy playing Test matches in Australia? An even more resounding yes! Less than two weeks before India play their first of four Tests Down Under, it is an appropriate time to reflect on Laxman’s success against the Aussies, and in their own backyard, too.

Laxman has had a pretty enviable career as Indian batsman, stretching back from 1996, when he made a half-century on debut against South Africa, to the present day. He has played in a variety of positions but is most commonly found at number four or five. Now 37 years old, age does not seem to have done him any harm, as he averaged more than 67 in 2009 and 2010, although that dropped to 45 this year, which is still good by most standards.

This year was tough for many Indian batsmen as they played four disastrous Tests in England, although VVS did manage two half-centuries against the conquering English. What he may be disappointed with is how many times he failed to push on after scoring a half-century; he was thrice dismissed in the 50s and twice in the 80s and has only scored one century this year - a massive 176 not out against the West Indies in Kolkata, a performance which was one of the top-rated on the Castrol Index by Batting Momentum.

Now focussing on Laxman against Australia, this will be his first match against, arguably, his favourite opponents since October 2010, when he was involved in a courageous innings of 73 not out, which he made off just 79 deliveries. Laxman was suffering from a bad back, required a runner and only came to bat at number seven, forced to pad up when the Indian top-order made heavy weather of a low target to chase.

And yet, perhaps his most memorable innings came in 2001, again in Kolkata, for a performance with the bat that has been immortalised at Eden Gardens where he stood tall and scripted an unlikely win with an imperious innings of 281. India managed to pull off only the second ever Test victory after being made to follow-on and it was thanks to Laxman’s 376-run partnership with Rahul Dravid that made it possible. He has been a thorn in the flesh for the Baggy Greens ever since, deserving of his tag of Very Very Special by demonstrating his ability to win matches almost single-handedly.

He has been on three tours of Australia and has made a success of it each time. His average Down Under is 54, higher than in any other country, even at home. He always seems to give his best performance when faced with the Australians, but he did not start out too well in his first series there. That was back in 1999 and his first few scores read as 41, 0, 5, 1 and 7, giving him an average of 10.80, but he then followed that up with a brilliant display of his talent in an innings of 167, albeit in a losing cause.

Sydney was the venue for that innings and for two of his other centuries in Australia. He has hit a total of four tons in the country, a figure that is only second to his eight centuries in India. He has struck at least one hundred on each of his tours Down Under and one cannot discount him repeating the feat again this year. He left early for the trip to begin preparations along with a few other team mates, and while this could be his last tour of Australia, seeing Laxman playing his natural, elegant game should be a real pleasure in itself.