The Surfer

In recent lost series, such as the 2009 Ashes, it has only taken one bad session to undo Australia. Andrew Flintoff at Lord’s and Stuart Broad at The Oval pretty much stole the urn with two spells. This was very uncharacteristic of a contemporary Australian team, and the most concerning feature of their defeat

In crisis situations that paralyse others, Laxman manages to bat with a composure and elegance that must be soul-destroying for the opposition. Others cramp up with nervous excitement. He strokes the ball into the gaps. As Zaheer Khan, an odd choice as man of the match following India's single-wicket win over Australia, said afterwards Laxman brings calm to the dressing room.

Laxman belongs to what is popularly called the Fab Four of Indian cricket. If the genius of Sachin Tendulkar is its Paul McCartney, the iconoclasm and flamboyance of - the now retired - Saurav Ganguly its John Lennon. If the maestro of the backbeat, Rahul Dravid, is its Ringo Starr, then VVS must be its George Harrison, weaving some wondrous and beautiful innings that have held together some of India's best performances and his own.

Obligated to represent Bangalore by contract and by a sportsman's natural desire to be in the thick of the action, Dravid initially looked as comfortable as a virtuoso singing hip-hop. Indeed, he could easily have walked away. Instead he developed a variety of improvised strokes, and before long was playing his part in his team's triumphs.

Nor is he not the first frozen batsman to be defrosted by the lighter version of the game. Suddenly, he was hitting the ball again, and scampering between wickets and clouting rude boundaries. Confidence returned. Perhaps, too, he remembered that cricket is just a game. He scored runs in the Ranji Trophy, and returned to Test cricket with his game in good working order. It had always been his way to think himself out of trouble. Sometimes blasting works better.

The unifying theme is each subject's passion for cricket, which is teased out by the interviewing team, captained at first by Brian Johnston before Jonathan Agnew took up the mantle, with introductory questions that allow the guest to get off the mark with ease. It is exactly what you would expect from a show with that cosy, hypnotic quality that has made it such a cherished institution. The majority are conducted with impeccable manners, featuring anecdotes aplenty about on-field diversions from various excursions with the Taverners and Bunburys.

It's been a long time since these sides produced a dull day let alone a dull match. India's brilliant and apparently ageless batting order counts among the game's treasures. The Australians are renowned for their refusal to buckle. It is a clash that often turns into a confrontation, a battle of wills that draws the best from all involved.

It all felt a bit pumped up, but there was no escaping the visceral pleasure England derived from their win that night. Six series wins out of six for the summer and a team united. That, more than victory over a side they had grown to despise, should be the season’s defining moment.

What elevates him is his cricketing intelligence. He understands his game and the art of spin bowling and blends it with spark, unquenchable spirit and optimism. I don't know if Fred has seen him. He is not a well man now, Alzheimer's taken hold a while since. I hope to see Parfitt next week and find out how he is. I think, though, Fred would take a look, puff on his pipe and pronounce approvingly and understated: "Good, ain't he JT." That, Swanny, would be the highest praise.

Speaking to the Indian media, he waited patiently for a question about which local batsman he would target, before lobbing a grenade the way of Virender Sehwag. Cue global headlines about Sehwag's vulnerability to the short ball, and a happy Johnson after making his own point at the outset of a series in which he will lead the Australian attack.

If only the series lasted longer than two Tests, then we may have had a chance to unravel some of these threads. As it is we will still get to enjoy some of the other captivating clashes that the series will throw up. Fitness allowing, Harbhajan Singh will resume his old duel with Ponting. Nobody has dismissed Ponting more times in Test cricket than Harbhajan. Will Ponting be able to keep pace with Sachin Tendulkar? Or will the series confirm the impression formed over the last two years that Sachin has pulled head-and-shoulders clear of the Australian captain as the outstanding batsman of this generation? Will Johnson and Bollinger be able to follow up on their public promises to tame Virender Sehwag by bombarding him with short deliveries? Will either Steve Smith or Nathan Hauritz be able to break through and nail down a place as Australia's first-choice spinner?