Former Indian Test specialist batsman VVS Laxman has recently spoken about the aggressiveness and sledging on the cricket field. While he claimed that the Indian skipper Virat Kohli is naturally aggressive, he also revealed team India’s sledging story during their Australia tour in 2007/08.
Recently, during the ongoing Test series in Australia, the Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been criticised for his aggressive behaviours. Calling Kohli as naturally aggressive since his young age, Laxman added that the international cricketers need to use it carefully as they are the role models of the youngsters.
During his promotion of autobiography ‘281 And Beyond’ on Thursday (December 20), Laxman told Sportstar, “Virat is naturally aggressive, right from his under-19 days. That is his personality. Having said that, it is important for international cricketers to realise that they are role models. The way you conduct yourself on the cricket field influences youngsters who idolise you. This is a big responsibility that society has placed on cricketers, and they should never forget it.”
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On this matter, Laxman also revealed a story during their Australia tour in 2007/08. As the former Indian left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan and the Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh were the top sledgers of the team, they had the responsibilities to face Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting respectively.
Laxman revealed, “Harbhajan and Zaheer were the best at sledging. In the 2008 series against Australia, the team decided that Bhajji (Harbhajan) would go after Ricky Ponting, and Zak (Zaheer) would go after Matthew Hayden.
“Before the start of the series, captain Ponting had said that Australia was the underdog. So every time Ponting came to crease, Bhajji (Harbhajan) would tell him – ‘You are the No.1 team in the world, yet you say that you are the underdog. What kind of Australian mindset is this?’.
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“Zak would instigate Hayden by talking about sensitive things, both on the field and during team functions. To be frank, at the highest level, players like this sort of banter. Nobody wants to play a dull game. It is these sorts of characters who make the game interesting.”
Laxman also spoke about KL Rahul’s off-form with the bat, who has scored only 48 runs in four innings of the ongoing four-match Test series in Australia. Mentioning him as one of his favourite players, Laxman feels Rahul is currently low on confidence and can take the inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar’s knocks at Sydney. Playing nine Test innings (five Tests) at Sydney Cricket Ground, the legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar scored 785 runs (average 157.00) with the help of three centuries and two half-centuries. Sachin’s 241* during the 2004 Sydney Test is still the highest knock by an Indian batsman in a Test innings on the Australian soil.
Laxman said, “Rahul is one of my favourite players – he is an unbelievable talent. But right now he is low on confidence, and he’s fighting a big mental battle. He can take inspiration from the way Sachin played at Sydney. Sachin knew that it was the cover drive that had led to his cheap dismissals in previous matches, so he just shunned that shot.
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“We’re not talking about avoiding the drive for the first 10 minutes or first 10 overs, but avoiding it right through his innings. Rahul should also introspect on what is leading to his downfall, identify the root cause, and then make sure that he avoids making that mistake again. It is easier said than done, as you need immense mental strength to pull it off.”
