‘I’ve won matches for India at No.3’

‘‘You cannot have the same strategy for Australia and Pakistan. They are totally different teams. Every series is different and needs new ideas.’’

Ask him why India lost the one-day series — one in which he played no role — and Laxman points out that even though Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and MS Dhoni batted in the top three, Rahul Dravid was the most successful batsman for India. ‘‘You cannot have a set pattern. 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’’, he adds.

Coach John Wright often said that India needs to lift their game by another ten percent to fetch better results. Laxman agrees. ‘‘It’s just a matter of doing the good things consistently. We have to make a habit of playing to our potential. We should have batted for a few more overs in the last Test at Jamaica (in 2002) to avoid defeat. It rained ten minutes after the last wicket fell and rained all of the fifth day.’’

Another prickly issue: His relationship with the number three slot, one that’s been eternal yet elusive. ‘‘I have won matches for India at number three, though I can win games in any position. John also knows that I have always delivered at number three in Tests and one-dayers and therefore has always wanted me to bat there.’’

But has he ever asked for the position? ‘‘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.’’

So what’s the answer? He goes back to the F-word. ‘‘Flexibility is important. Dravid, captain in the Mumbai Test against Australia, suggested that I bat at number three with the new ball in play. I scored a crucial 69, put together a partnership with Sachin (Tendulkar) and we won the Test.’’

There’s something that riles even this easy-going person: the lazy equation between big scores and success. ‘‘I got two fifties against Pakistan in the Tests and everyone said I failed in the series. 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 tail-enders. I could have been selfish and played big shots but I knew that crease occupation at that time was important.’’

Laxman admits that when he started off he wasn’t a very good one-day batsman but insists that he worked hard to improve. “My basic mantra is to rotate the strike, occupying the crease and keeping the scoreboard ticking. 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.”

And in the clearest sign yet that he’s serious about ODIs, Laxman lets slip this little bit of information: he’s ‘‘working very seriously’’ on his bowling. ‘‘I’ve realised you need to be more versatile as a one-day player. So I’m polishing up my bowling.’’

Typically, covering all angles.