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VVS Laxman played an innings for the ages in the first Test against Australia.
VVS Laxman played an innings for the ages in the first Test against Australia. © Cricbuzz

It would have been fitting to write an editorial for this match with just three words: VVS Laxman. Legend.That is what VVS Laxman's batting does to you - it robs you of words. After the high of India's win had come down by a tiny notch or two though, more words and phrases suggested themselves:The man for the moment, all-time great, living proof that nice guys finish first too, the man whom all of India collectively turn to when the pressure is on - even ahead of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, fantastic, out-of-the-world, superb, magician, wizard...Even the cliches that have been milked dry (Very Very Special etc) came, but none were enough to describe Laxman's batting. The words ran dry, but the magic of his batting remained. No one has quite managed to bring so alive the metaphor 'he waved his bat like a wand'. Laxman does wave the bat - in graceful arcs and wristy flourishes - and the quality of his batting seems impossible without resorting to a wand for other mortals.Consider the situation: India, a team with a history of messing up fourth innings chases, had slipped badly once again. Laxman hadn't been on the field for most of the Test match with a back spasm (a spasm that was serious enough for him to walk out at Number 10 in the first innings), and wasn't at his physical best. Even with his back troubles, he was batting beautifully. But while he kept his head, others lost theirs - with the result that he was running out of partners.The circumstances were as trying as could be, and the Indian cricket fan had already thrown in the towel. No one seriously believed that India stood a chance of winning the match at 124/8. Laxman was there all right, but how many would have thought that he could actually shepherd the tail through?That is another facet of Laxman's batting - one that is almost always pushed into the background because the sheer artistry of his strokes overwhelm you: He makes you believe again after all hope is crushed.He doesn't have the battle-hardened air that Steve Waugh exuded, or the intense look that Rahul Dravid's eyes have when faced with a challenge, or the sheer cussedness and never-say-die spirit that Australian teams wear on their sleeves - but there is a steel core to the man that comes to the fore whenever his country turns to him. His back was spasming, but the backbone of the Indian team held firm.Twice already in 2010, he has played innings that left everyone who watched them feel thankful for being born in the same era as VVS Laxman. The first time was against South Africa, at his home-away-from-home - the Eden Gardens [

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