LIFE has not changed for this 34-year-old Vangipurappu Venkata Sai, or Very Very Special, Laxman, who will become the first Hyderabad cricketer to play in 100 Tests when the fourth Test between India and Australia will be played at Nagpur from Thursday. He played his first Test against South Africa in Ahmedabad in 1996.
As a 17-year-old, young boy, he was given a choice _ either to become a doctor or take cricket as his career. Recalls father Dr V Shantaram, "I gave him three days and by third day morning he made up his mind. He told me he would like to serve country with the bat.” Ever since he took that decision, this young gentleman never looked back. It has been a singleminded devotion, to grind the opposition bowlers with clinical precision. "I should thank my uncle (Baba Krishna Mohan) for making me a cricketer," says Laxman. Baba, his maternal uncle, took those early steps, convincing his parents that he had a bright future in the game.
Laxman was a regular visitor to his grandparents‘ residence in Marredpally. He was fascinated by the bat, pads and other cricket equipment. When his uncle used to do shadow practice at his house, Laxman would watch for hours together. "I saw some extraordinary talent in him from a young age. He was focused from childhood. He loved the game and there was some steely determination in him," says Baba, himself a first division league cricketer.
For Laxman and Baba, a new cricket clinic started at St John‘s College ground next to their house in 1987 came as a boon. The journey to stardom started at this quaint galli in Marredpally. "It was dedication, devotion and hard work from the first day. He would never waste a single minute and practise for long hours. The other highlight was that he always practiced in the traditional white dress," says John Manoj. This has been the trait of Laxman. "He is a very simple guy. He has never hurt any one," says friend Rajesh Yadav. In fact, when Laxman took to cricket, his other friend Parth Satwalkar opted for medical profession. “Once he took a plunge into the game, he persued with an unstinted zeal. It is his discipline and dedication that has seen him become one of the great cricketers of the country. But fame never went to his head. It is a perfect example to any young cricketer," thinks Satwalkar.
Jyothi Prasad, former Ranji all-rounder and Laxman’s first coach in Ranji Trophy, opines that he was different from others. “An extremely polite and downto- earth person, Laxman went through the proper system of training and graduating from junior cricket before playing in the Ranji Trophy. It was a perfect foundation. But the important thing was that he never compromised on discipline. That was the key.
He played his first match against Punjab in the semifinals on a wet wicket. He was out for 17-odd runs as Hyderabad crashed to a heavy defeat. He took it in his stride and thereafter made runs in Ranji Trophy to attract the attention of the national selectors. He had the hunger for success from a young age. He had the patience, temperament and talent to excel," says Jyothi Prasad, who thought the national selectors sometimes played havoc with his career particularly when he was omitted for the 2003 World Cup.
According to Vijay Mohan Raj, the former Hyderabad opener and coach, thinks Laxman is class apart.
"From a young age, he made the batting look simple with his wristy style of play. It was not that it came automatically to VVS. He worked very hard at the nets. He is a very organised player that separated him from others,"feels Mohan Raj.
Even now he doesn’t miss a single day practice session, avers coach Ashok Singh. Laxman’s Ranji teammate A Nandakishore says "VVS can bat the whole day at the nets. He never gets tired." Trainer N Ramesh, who was introduced by Mukesh to Laxman, says VVS believes in hard work. "He is very systematic and I think he can play for another three years of international cricket. He is very fit, believe it or not,‘ says Ramesh.
Many of them do feel that he has not been treated well when compared to others like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly. "It could have shattered any other cricketer but not Laxman. He worked for perfection. His never-say-die attitude always put him in a good frame of mind," says Man Singh, the former secretary of Hyderabad Cricket Association. Shivlal Yadav, the vice-president of BCCI and secretary of HCA, too thinks he is Hyderabad’s cricket legend. "Hyderabad is proud of VVS and his accomplishments," says Yadav.
Shantaram and Satyabhama, both doctors, are proud of thier son’s feats. "It will be a special day for us tomorrow. He has brought happiness and pleasure to the country. The important thing is he fulfils his duties as a son, spouse and father in a very balanced way. "The belief in God has helped him be a good human being and he has been rewarded with success.
My late parents Jagannadh Shastry and Varalakshmi and my in-laws Ramananda Raogaru have showered blessings in abundance for his success," says Shantaram.
VVS wife Shailaja would not be in Nagpur for the historic occasion as they expecting their second child. "He is a lovely husband. A strong believer in God-- Satya Sai Baba and Shiridi Sai Baba, he is a nice human being," says Shailaja.
Tomorrow will be the D-Day. The Hyderabadis and the country will salute the cricketer and gentleman for his fantastic knocks of 281 against Australia and other memorable ones.