OTD: VVS Laxman with back injury scored century to confirm a stunning win against Sri Lanka
A twist in a tale in the second innings of the Sri Lanka vs. India Test in August of 2010 remained in memory with a permanent mark for a heroic century by VVS Laxman.
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A twist in a tale in the second innings of the Sri Lanka vs India Test in August of 2010 remained in memory with a permanent mark for a heroic century by VVS Laxman.
Laxman's century came at the moment when India needed it the most at Colombo. The team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni was on the wrong foot while chasing 257 runs in the second innings. Virendra Sehwag went back to the pavilion with a duck, Rahul Dravid fell short, and Sachin Tendulkar tried, but it was far from enough to throw an appropriate challenge to Sri Lanka.
It was the moment for Laxman to rise in crisis time. The right-handed batter scored an elegant hundred, remained unbeaten for 103 runs, and confirmed a stunning win. Under pressure, Suresh Raina was there in the middle till the end with Laxman, scoring an unbeaten 41 off 45. Laxman's 103* came against 149 deliveries, powered by 12 boundaries.
Spinners played a crucial part before Laxman's century
The Indian bowling department also deserved credit behind India's fightback in the second. The first inning of the match was a high-scoring affair. Sri Lanka scored 425, while India got 436. Pragyan Ojha, Virendra Sehwag, and Amit Mishra—three spinners—took 3 scalps each and restricted the host to 267 in the following phase of the Test. Chasing down the target of 257 runs was a record for the Indian cricket team; it was their fourth-highest Test target at the time.
Man of the match VVS Laxman said after the match, "It was a great team effort. The bowlers got us back into the game. The partnership between Sachin and myself was crucial to get the momentum back... I am glad that I have contributed when the team needed it."
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