As the 'Very Very Special' man walks into the sunset of his illustrious career, it won't be a 'wonderful afterlife' for India's next batch of Test aspirants as the bar that has been set by the Hyderabadi stylist is pretty high.
The 37-year-old Laxman was never dubbed a genius like Sachin Tendulkar neither did he possess the swagger of Virender Sehwag or the doggedness of a certain Rahul Dravid, yet he will forever remain one of the all-time greats of Indian cricket.
Laxman was the touch artist, one can never forget. The suppleness of his wrists as he played a delivery well outside his off-stump through the mid-wicket is something that a generation of cricket lovers have learned to adore.
Laxman, who announced his retirement from international cricket with immediate efffect, played 134 Tests, amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. He scored 17 centuries and 56 half centuries, many of which have gone a long way in helping India save or win a Test match.
He played in 86 ODIs for an aggregate of 2338 and average of 30.76 in the shorter format which was not his forte.
His 281 against Australia at the Eden Gardens is a stuff of legends and that majestic knock has now become a part of cricketing folklore.
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The Australian teams over the years have had the highest regard for Tendulkar but it has never been any less for Laxman, who has played some amazing knocks against them over the years. More