Cricket Archive

VVS Laxman

Full name:	Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman
Born:	1st November 1974, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India
Batting:	Right-hand batsman
Bowling:	Right-arm off-break
Occasional wicket-keeper
Teams:	India (Test: 1996/97-2008); India (ODI: 1997/98-2006/07); Hyderabad (India) (Main FC: 1992/93-2007/08); Lancashire (Main FC: 2007); Hyderabad (India) (Main ListA: 1994/95-2006/07); Lancashire (Main ListA: 2007); All teams
Wisden Cricketer of the Year: 2002
Lists of matches and more detailed statistics
Articles:	Laxman, Ganguly take India to huge score
	Kumble throws first Test wide open
	Laxman and Dhoni revive India
	List of all articles
Pictures:	VVS Laxman plays a shot
	VVS Laxman is hit by Shoaib Akhtar on his elbow
	VVS Laxman celebrates the wicket of Mohammad Sami
	VVS Laxman celebrates his century
	List of all pictures

Wristy stroke play and sublime shots are what best describe the way this master Hyderabadi batsman plays his cricket. He has a special liking towards the Australian bowling attacks, cracking up a fantastic 281 against Steve Waugh’s team in Kolkata in 2001 to turn the test match and the series on its head. Then he went Down Under in 2003-04 and such was his form that the Aussies didn’t know where to bowl at him. He continued in the same vein against his favourite opponents when he visited again in 2007-08, so much so that he has been already offered an Australian citizenship. Sometimes he can even better Tendulkar for strokeplay, while surpassing his idol Azharuddin at the same time. He is equally assured on the off-side as well as the on-side. Recently he hasn't been able to quite manage the same consistency that could have turned him into a batting great, and in between dazzling and hardworking hundreds, he has suffered frustrations of numerous twenties and thirties, and has struggled to hold his place in the one-day side. He was terribly disappointed at missing out on the World Cup in 2003 and has always expressed his displeasure about the same. Even then he has now more or less accepted that ODIs are now beyond his reach and even the test scenario is getting tougher where he is no longer an automatic choice when India decide to play five batsmen. He was persuaded by the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers to captain them in the IPL and to save his franchise money in the auctions, he refused to accept the status of an ICON player.
Profile DateLine: 5th June 2008 by CricketArchive

Test Career Batting and Fielding (1996/97-2008)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
India	95	156	20	5914	281	43.48	12	34	49.26	102

Test Career Bowling (1996/97-2007/08)
	Balls	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BB	Ave	5wI	10wM	SRate	Econ
India	324	12	126	2	1-2	63.00	0	0	162.00	2.33

First-Class Career Batting and Fielding (1992/93-2008)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct	St
Overall	208	338	37	15364	353	51.04	44	70	222	1

First-Class Career Bowling (1994/95-2007/08)
	Balls	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BB	Ave	5wI	10wM	SRate	Econ
Overall	1751	53	728	21	3-11	34.66	0	0	83.38	2.49

One-Day International Career Batting and Fielding (1997/98-2006/07)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
India	86	83	7	2338	131	30.76	6	10	71.23	39

One-Day International Career Bowling (1997/98-2002/03)
	Balls	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BB	Ave	4wI	5wI	SRate	Econ
India	42	0	40	0	0-5					5.71

One-Day Career Batting and Fielding (1994/95-2007/08)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct
Overall	167	161	18	4944	131	34.57	9	27	73

One-Day Career Bowling (1994/95-2007)
	Balls	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BB	Ave	4wI	5wI	SRate	Econ
Overall	698	6	548	8	2-42	68.50	0	0	87.25	4.71

Twenty20 Career Batting and Fielding (2007/08)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	SRate	Ct
Overall	6	6	1	155	52	31.00	0	1	117.42	1

Youth Test Career Batting and Fielding (1993/94-1994)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct
India Under-19s	6	9	2	592	151*	84.57	2	3	5

Youth Test Career Bowling (1994)
	Balls	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BB	Ave	5wI	10wM	SRate	Econ
India Under-19s	162	7	89	1	1-20	89.00	0	0	162.00	3.29

Youth One-Day International Career Batting and Fielding (1993/94-1994)
	M	I	NO	Runs	HS	Ave	100	50	Ct
India Under-19s	5	5	0	148	77	29.60	0	1	1

Youth One-Day International Career Bowling (1993/94-1994)
	Balls	Mdns	Runs	Wkts	BB	Ave	4wI	5wI	SRate	Econ
India Under-19s	42	1	30	1	1-9	30.00	0	0	42.00	4.28