Flexibility the key, says Laxman

VVS Laxman, who has gone through a rocky time in Test cricket and found himself out in the cold as far as the one-day side is concerned, has blamed a lack of tactical flexibility for India's recent troubles. Speaking to the The Indian Express during an India-Pakistan match for the visually impaired, Laxman insisted that a tweak here and there would once again propel India towards the top rung of international cricket.

"In the past few years the opposition has understood us well, but that is the trend of international cricket," he said. "We have not totally surrendered to teams, and therefore we don't need to make drastic changes in the team. But we must improve our consistency. You cannot have the same strategy for Australia and Pakistan. They are totally different teams. Every series is different and needs new ideas.''

According to Laxman, who was jettisoned from the ODI side before the tour of Bangladesh last winter, the reluctance to experiment was one of the root causes of the 2-4 reverse against Pakistan. "You cannot have a set pattern," he said. "It is very important that the team has good options. One must look at the situation first - if early wickets are lost then the game-plan has to change. Flexibility is the key."

It was only four years ago that Laxman played the finest innings ever by an Indian batsman, and one of the greatest of all time, as Australia were vanquished in a remarkable Test match at Kolkata. He came in then at No. 3, his chosen slot, but with Rahul Dravid having established himself as one of the all-time greats in the very same position, it has been difficult for Laxman to reproduce similar heroics.

"I have won matches for India at No. 3, though I can win games in any position," he said. "John [Wright] also knows that I have always delivered at No. 3 in Tests and one-dayers, and therefore has always wanted me to bat there." Laxman added, however, that there was no question of demanding the position for himself. "You cannot ask Rahul Dravid to move from that slot, because he has done wonderfully well there. I have spoken to Sourav and Wright about it, but I am not going to keep asking them for it. I will play where the team requires me to play."

What Laxman does believe, though, is the merit of shuffling your line-up according to the match situation. "Flexibility is important. Dravid, captain in the Mumbai Test against Australia, suggested that I bat at No. 3 with the new ball in play. I scored a crucial 69, put together a partnership with Sachin [Tendulkar], and we won the Test."

The criticism that has come his way in recent times has clearly irked. "I got two fifties against Pakistan in the Tests and everyone said I failed in the series," says Laxman. "No-one bothered to check that I batted lower down the order with no support from the tail. I got 79 at Bangalore with the tailenders. I could have been selfish and played big shots, but I knew that crease-occupation at that time was important."

After suffering the heartache of missing out on the last World Cup squad, Laxman appeared to have resurrected his ODI career with three scintillating centuries in Australia, and another sublime innings in the decisive Lahore game last March. Subsequently, inconsistency and the perception that he is a liability in the field forced him out of the squad, but Laxman insists that a comeback is far from implausible.

"My basic mantra is to rotate the strike, occupying the crease and keeping the scoreboard ticking," he says. "Just hitting fours and sixes doesn't work. Rahul and I have to stick around for 40-45 overs and eventually the team gets a big score. Check the records - if I have played around 40-45 overs, we have got 300-plus totals and won."