VVS Laxman’s Test journey is likely to end, may announce retirement on Saturday

Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman has decided to announce his retirement from international cricket on Saturday. He spoke to me this morning and said he is quitting Test cricket,” one of his former teammates told on Friday.

VVS Laxman will continue to play domestic cricket for another two or three years. He is keen on revamping the Hyderabad team and coaching youngsters.

Laxman made his Test debut in 1996 against South Africa at Ahmedabad, scoring a fifty in the second innings of the match. Laxman till date, has played 134 Tests, amassing 8,781 runs at an average of 45.97. The Hyderabadi has always had a pair of safe hands and has pouched 135 Test catches too. He is noted most for his batting against Australia, in both Tests and One Day Internationals. Six out of his 17 Test hundreds, and four out of his six ODI hundreds have come against Australia.

Laxman represents Hyderabad in domestic cricket and has played for Lancashire in English county cricket. He was the captain of the Deccan Chargers team in the Indian Premier League in its first year. He has two double-centuries in Tests, both of them against Australia, his personal best of 281 at Kolkata in 2000–01, and 200* at Feroz Shah Kotla in 2008–09

Laxman loves to bat at the No.3 position, where he has 1611 runs to his credit. He has batted in all positions barring No.9 and 11, but made himself comfortable at the No.5 and 6 positions where he got most of his runs (2877 and 2760).

Test debut: vs South Africa at Ahmedabad, 1996

M – 134; Runs – 8,781; Avg – 45.97; 100s – 17; Top Score – 281

ODI debut: vs Zimbabwe at Cuttack, 1998
M – 81; Runs – 2,338; Avg – 30.76; 100s – 6; Top Score – 131

First-class debut: 1992-93
M – 265; Runs – 19,520; Avg – 51.5; 100s – 54; Top Scores – 353