Birthday Special: 281 runs, no other innings was VVS Laxman's career turning point

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VVS Laxman’s innings of 281 runs may have become a part of history, but this veteran batsman does not consider this innings as the turning point of his career.

That Eden Gardens innings against Australia became the ‘Wizard of Wrist’ to ‘Very Very Special’. Yes! It is being talked about VVS Laxman, who played brilliant innings of 281 runs in March 2001. Born in Hyderabad on 1 November 1974, Laxman turned 45 today (Friday). VVS Laxman’s innings of 281 runs may have become a part of history, but this veteran batsman does not consider this innings as the ‘turning point’ of his career.

Whenever it comes to the ‘Wizard of Wrist’ ‘Very Very Special’ VVS Laxman, his 2001 Kolkata innings of 281 runs in the headlines. Due to which India stopped the victory chariot of Australia’s 16 Test matches, but Laxman considers his first Test century as the turning point of his 16-year Test career.

Here's wishing one of #TeamIndia's most stylish batsmen, @VVSLaxman281 a very happy birthday 🎂🍰

On his special day, relive his 'very very special' knock of 281 against Australia #HappyBirthdayVVSLaxman pic.twitter.com/72e2ZwCD90
— BCCI (@BCCI) October 31, 2019

Laxman has conceded in the India Today Conclave South-2018, ‘Not the innings of 281 runs, but the first century of my career was the turning point of my career. An innings of 167 runs in the Sydney Test against Australia in 2000 boosted confidence. Till then I did not trust my own ability. I played a number of innings since making my Test debut in 1996, but could not convert a half-century into a century. Only after this century, I scored more than 1400 runs in a season of domestic cricket.

First Test century was scored in Sydney Test

In the second innings of the Sydney Test match, India had lost three wickets for 33 runs, when Sourav Ganguly came out to support opener Laxman. This partnership slowed down the pace of falling wickets. Ganguly was dismissed for 25 runs but added valuable 58 runs with Laxman. Eventually, Laxman returned to the pavilion as the eighth wicket. Despite 167 runs in 198 balls, he could not save India’s defeat. Australia won the Sydney Test match by an innings and 141 runs.

After this, there was a boom in domestic cricket

It is worth mentioning that in the Ranji Trophy, VVS Laxman has the record of scoring the most runs in a season and this record still holds. He scored a total of 1415 runs for Hyderabad in the 1999/2000 season, which no one has touched to date. Milind Kumar, who plays for Sikkim, is second in the 2018/19 scoring 1331 runs, while Mumbai’s Shreyas Iyer is third in the 2015/16 season scoring 1321 runs.

Australia’s master broke and became VVS

Laxman scored 11,119 international runs, of which 3,173 runs (with two double centuries) against Australia. Laxman’s bat always spoke against Australia. Laxman is the second Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to score more than 2000 Test runs against Australia.

… But the truth is that an unprecedented 281 runs against the Kangaroos made him famous. Prior to that innings, Laxman, who had a Test average of just 28, stopped Australia’s 16 Test matches victory chariot with an impeccable double century. Rahul Dravid’s (180 runs) partnership of 376 runs during the follow-on innings with Laxman was memorable.

A valuable inning of 148 runs was played in Adelaide

Not only this, in the Adelaide Test against Australia in 2003, India won by playing a valuable inning of 148 runs. The Kangaroos were once again defeated in their homes by partnering with Dravid. During that time Laxman added 303 runs with Dravid (233 runs). During the 2008 Delhi Test, Laxman scored an unbeaten double century. With this, he became the second Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar (3630) to score more than 2000 runs (2434) against Australia.

Team India won despite back pain in Mohali

He proved again in an innings played against Australia in the 2010 Mohali Test, why he is a ‘Very Very Special’. Laxman then scored an unbeaten 73 in a thrilling one-wicket win against Australia, at a time when he had terrible back pain. In this Test, India had to score 216 runs in the fourth innings to win. 8 wickets fell for 124 runs, but Laxman held one end. During this, he got the better of Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha and India achieved ‘incredible victory’ by one wicket.