Looking forward to a Laxman summer

This summer has already brought delights in abundance for aficionados of artful batting writes Rob Bagchi in the Guardian. Mahela Jayawardene and Ian Bell have both produced a series of scintillating innings and while the purists have been spoilt by early July, the arrival of India's VVS Laxman on Tuesday heralds that the best treat may still be to come.

The gifts these three share – a dreamlike quality of composure when well-set, the ability to transform a commonplace shot such as a leg-glance into a thing of charm and a handsome ease at piercing the infield that keeps the scoreboard moving at a pace that perplexes the assumptions of bowler and spectator alike – link the game to a past when guile was the equal of force.