Batting through pain and spin,Laxman scripts an Indian win

While in his 30s,Laxman felt spasms in his lower back at the P Sara Oval. The pain was gripping and it didnt allow him to bat freely. He took pain-killers but even before the medicine could kick in,Lasith Malinga was hurling 140-kilometre-plus bouncers at him and following it up with curling yorkers.

Laxman tried his best to hide his discomfort. He didnt want the Sri Lankans to know that the bad back meant he might struggle while playing horizontal bat shots or when trying to lean forward and whip Ajantha Mendis. Two commanding pulls off Malinga meant the bouncer barrage wasnt going to terminate Indias march in search of 257.

Mendis had dismissed Laxman in seven out of eight times the two had played against each other on Sri Lankan soil. Today,he attacked,scoring 39 off the 44 balls he faced from the unorthodox spinner in spite of a hurting back.

Two years ago,at the same venue Laxman had made 61 not out while batting with a twisted ankle along with tail-enders to give India a fighting total. That day Sri Lanka won in a canter.

Pride was at stake,the fifth day pitch was producing unpredictable bounce,the Sri Lankans were on top with India at 62 for four. India needed another 195 runs to win the game.

The leg-side was choc-a-block with fielders in catching positions and off spinner Suraj Randiv and Mendis bowled over and around the wicket in an attempt to make Laxman take risks and in the process commit an error. Laxman didnt flinch from the task at hand. The 109 runs he added for the fifth wicket with Sachin Tendulkar 54 was made largely while in pain. So was the unbeaten 87 he put together along with Suresh Raina 41 n.o.

The team physio came out to try and ease the pain on Laxmans back on two occasions but Nitin Patels intervention provided little relief. Shortly before Tendulkar fell,Laxman had called for a runner in Virender Sehwag. I was in such pain that I thought that the best decision in teams interest was to have a runner instead of just giving away the wicket due to pain, Laxman said.

Before coming out to bat,Laxman was listening to an evergreen Kishore Kumar number in the dressing room,a routine he follows regularly. There are some things about the stylish Hyderabadi batsman that dont change. He prefers the buckle and strap pads to the lighter but stronger Velcro strap ones when batting in a Test match.

And nearly a decade after playing the innings of his life in Kolkata against Australia,Laxman continues to be the man who his teammates turn to when all seems lost.

It was Laxman,once again,on a testing wicket,in difficult circumstances and with nothing to prove but yet all to play for,who scripted another remarkable comeback. Thats why he is called Very Very Special. He has always come up with innings that have a huge bearing on the game. In this innings it was very important for him to score runs for the team because the team needed it the most right now. There was pressure and pain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said about the man who led his team to a win that levelled the Test series.

When asked about the critics,Laxman replied: I have had it since the start of the career. But what matters really is how the team feels about you. And there is no doubt that the team members feel how important my contribution to the team is. I really dont think what the people are thinking outside the dressing room. What is important is what you teammates think about you.