VVS and the Laxman rekha

This isn’t a happy irony. As the nation celebrated its Victory Day today, its Test team was preparing for another defeat. The festive a...

This isn’t a happy irony. As the nation celebrated its Victory Day today, its Test team was preparing for another defeat. The festive air all round this port city seemed to stop short at the doors of the Bangladesh cricket team, more so given the news that it will, in all likelihood, be without the services of its leading seam bowler Tapash Baisya over the next five days.

All the upbeat mood was instead with Team India, which was working on ensuring its fourth victory in five Tests. Skipper Saurav Ganguly predicted an unchanged XI, pointing out that the relative paucity of Tests every year meant that no one wanted to miss out.

He also pointed to the fact that the team is finally achieving some kind of batting consistency, though he did point to some shortcomings. ‘‘We had just one guy (Sachin Tendulkar) who scored a hundred. Ideally we would like runs from everybody, so that we play together as a team,’’ he said.

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What he didn’t mention was the one man who’s missed out on the runs this season: VVS Laxman. Save that sparkling 69 in Mumbai, the Hyderabad touch artist has not been among the runs, not even against South Africa and Bangladesh.

His coach, though, doesn’t appear worried and yesterday put up a spirited defence of his attractive, if enigmatic, batsman. ‘‘That innings of Laxman’s at Dhaka,’’ John Wright said, ‘‘was the best of all in the XI.’’ Then added, as he saw the puzzled expressions around him: ‘‘Yes it was. He’s been hitting the ball well. He’s in good form and was looking good till he batted the last time. I have no worries about him.’’

Laxman, for the record, scored 32 with four boundaries till he was trapped in front by Rafique.

At times searching for the ball, at times executing a brilliant stroke, Laxman has shown only flashes of his form Down Under last year. Widely tipped for a repeat act in the return series this season, he spent much of the time struggling with his footwork, flirting with the ball outside the off-stump or misjudging his old foe Shane Warne.

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Against South Africa, too, he promised much but failed to deliver.

All this means he’s picked up just two fifties in the last 11 innings. His last century? The New Year’s Test at Sydney.

What’s made life more difficult for him has been his omission from the one-day side for the upcoming series here. He reacted to that in atypically outspoken fashion, which, for self-made or prompted, have merely added to the confusion.

Laxman, though, is a batsman who thrives when faced with a challenge, as he proved against Australia in Mumbai. Virtually put on notice by the selectors, he changed the course of the match with his 69.

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Another challenge beckons, beginning Friday at the MA Aziz Stadium.

He needs to respond in fitting fashion, so that he’s around when an even bigger challenge presents itself. On February 25, the Pakistanis land in India.