The former Indian pacer, Ashish Nehra recently opened up about VVS Laxman‘s performance in the second innings of the 2010 Durban Test. Nehra remarks Laxman’s knock in South Africa as the best of the decade he has witnessed yet.
After losing to Proteas in the first of that series at Centurion, the MS Dhoni-led India was struggling in the second Test of their tour to South Africa. India defeated the hosts by 87 runs where VVS Laxman was awarded the ‘Player of the Match’ for his match-winning knock in the second innings.
Remembering the crucial win, Nehra said that Laxman’s innings came when none of the Indian batsmen were able even to touch 30 runs mark, apart from Virendra Sehwag (32 runs). Laxman scored 96 runs before he gave off his wicket through a catch to the Proteas wicketkeeper Mark Boucher on Dale Steyn’s ball.
“VVS’ innings was crucial: it was the reason India could set a formidable target of close to 300 for South Africa to chase,” Nehra told ESPNCricinfo. “The Durban wicket was very tough to bat on, against a South African bowling attack that had Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who were on top of their game at the time. Other than VVS, nobody barring Viru [Virender Sehwag] even touched 30,” he said.
Although it wasn’t the first time when Laxman played an outstanding innings in Test cricket, for Nehra the one in South Africa was the extra special. Laxman not only helped India level the series in the second Test, but he also played till the end of the game on a pitch that was difficult for anyone to play.
India drew that series as they drew the third and final game of that Test series. Proteas’ star Jacques Kallis scored a century in each innings of the third Test.
“Some might say VVS has played similar innings before. But that innings was very special. He batted along with the tail, including stitching a partnership of about 70 with Zak [Zaheer Khan]. And VVS was the last man to get out. With that innings, not only did India win the Test and level the series, they also came close to winning a Test series in South Africa. They were denied because Jacques Kallis scored a century in each innings in the third Test.”
Nehra terms Nathan Lyon’s 8/50 in 2017 in India as the close second:
Adding to this, Nehra admitted that Nathan Lyon‘s 8/50 milestone has been close to Laxman’s knock. It was a doomsday for the Indian cricketers as the Australian off-break bowler went on the wicket-taking spree against India on the Indian soil. It was the best ever haul by a foreign bowler to have the figures of 8/50 on the Indian soil.
“Lyon’s was a great performance because it came against Indians batting in India. Importantly, it was the first day of the Test match. Yes, there was a little moisture in the pitch, and because of that he was getting a turn, but that was only for the first hour or 90 minutes. An Australian finger spinner taking eight wickets is something spectacular,” Nehra added.
Lyon created havoc on the Indian soil at that time. However, Laxman’s heroic knock at the foreign soil was a special over the decade for Nehra.