'I had to accept I was not in the squad' - Laxman

VVS Laxman has spoken of the transition to domestic cricket and his current batting form. Laxman, who captained Hyderabad and struck two half-centuries against Punjab after being rested from the Indian one-day side, reckoned that domestic cricket could do with the presence of international stars so standards improved. Incidentally, and perhaps unknowingly, he spoke of this a couple of days after Sachin Tendulkar made himself unavailable for a Ranji game against Delhi to avoid aggravating an elbow injury.

Speaking to the The Times of India Laxman said, "I was able to spend considerable time out in the middle. I have been in good touch right through the season but somehow was unable to convert the good starts into good scores. Barring the Mumbai Test, I have not been able to spend more than one session at the wicket. So I decided to do it in this match. I had to accept the fact that I was not part of the Indian squad. So I decided to play for Hyderabad and do my best for the team." Laxman's 79 and 60 were by far the highest scores for Hyderabad in the low-scoring game, and helped them to victory by 60 runs and took them closer to a semi-finals berth.

Laxman was happy with the way Hyderabad had performed, but added that the players had to do a lot more. One way that could happen, he suggested, was: "It is important for all of us to play for our state. This will increase competition and also help upcoming players learn a lot. It is also good for domestic cricket.

"It is wonderful to lead the Hyderabad side. I am always at home as the bonding is great. The effort the boys put in the match was tremendous. The victory is a result of the great team spirit that exists among us."