How do you analyze Laxman? How do you decide whether right now he is in form or not? I guess you decide that based on who India is going to play against. Example: He scored 59, 281, 65 and 66 against the Aussies in the two tests that India won in 2001. Then in the next series against Zimbabwe he scored 28, 38, 15 and 20.
I think Laxman’s position is relatively less threatened because most of the current push on the seniors is because of their age and he is the youngest of the five. Moreover against Australia his innings may or may not be statistically biggest but are always the most influential. Consider one very latest situation against the Aussies. After losing at Melbourne India was under pressure in the second test at Sydney (partly due to the first of several bad umpiring decisions in that test - the one that saved Symonds) when Australia scored 463 and got Jaffer very quickly. In came Laxman at no 3, and in the words of Peter English, written here,
“Waving boundaries off both feet through cover, he transfixed the SCG crowd during the second session that revived India and the series. Mitchell Johnson was taken for 18 from five balls as Laxman split a crowded offside field and when he grew bored of hitting to cover, he worked towards square leg and mid-on with shots few Australians would have considered - or known how to play“.
For the ones looking for specifics, he scored 109, hit 18 fours and made a 175 run stand for the second wicket. Should I bother telling the name of the other player in the stand?
Again in Perth he played one of the most important innings by an Indian in Australia when India was 160/6 leading by 278 in the third innings. He played with the tail and put the score beyond even Australia’s reach. India’ win in this game made experts agree that India-Australia is the main test cricket rivalry now.
After that he played a fifty here against South Africa, a fifty there against Sri Lanka but if he again scores when needed now against Australia all his innings between these two series will appear as if he just keeps doing enough to stay in hunt until he gets to play against his favorite opponent.
It looks to me he plays his best when the opposition is attacking to take wickets. In 2004 India series (it was recently said that) Australia tried to choke him (and others) instead. Again at home earlier this year may be Australia felt they had a chance to attack due the pitches etc and went for it and Laxman succeeded. We don’t know whether this analysis is true but what is true for sure that the Aussies kept him quiet in 2004 but not earlier this year. Many a time I have felt that when some of these batsmen fail it’s mainly because they are out of touch or there is nothing that triggers them. When they fully apply the opposition tactics don’t matter.
But overall in India Australia series the matches are most interesting and Indian batsmen are most watchable when Australia goes for an all out attack and India tries to respond in its own way. I just hope that happens this time too as that’s when Laxman will be most effective.
Compared to others the logic for Laxman should be very simple. For other series you can very well apply all the criteria like his recent international or domestic scores, his fitness compared to the young guys, “looking forward” type strategies or even his age. But as long as he has not announced retirement you always select him for an Australia series.