Also, Laxman as a player is the hardest to pin down with an average. In 2009 and 2010, Gambhir, Sehwag and Tendulkar all took turns to be the No.1 batsman in the test rankings. I doubt Laxman cracked anything outside a top 10 ranking. Yet in the 2010/11 season, where he scored just one century and Tendulkar/Sehwag were having career years, Laxman, with his mid-40s batting average and all, was the most important batsman in India getting to and retaining our position as the No.1 test team for that season.
First, there was the SL 4th innings century. India were trailing 0-1 against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in the third and final test and had to chase 258 on a dangerously spinning Day 5 pitch. It was Murali's farewell series and SL clearly want to gift this win to him. Randiv who was then a mystery bowler who had just taken out Vijay, Sehwag, Dravid and Tendulkar on his own and the score was 62-4. SL are clearly looking like they'll wrap this thing by lunch. Laxman scores an aggressive match winning 103 (149)* in that situation to finish the match before tea and equalize the series.
Then, Laxman's 73 in
this game against Australia. It was a worn down 5th day pitch where surviving looked incredibly difficult. India were chasing 215, Laxman had injured his back very visibly and only came out to bat at no.7 because of this. In fact, he was so injured he batted at No.10 in the first innings. India were 124/8 one hour into day 5 with 90+ runs needed, an injured Laxman batting with Ishant and only Ojha to come. Australia were paying 1.03 and India 27/1(!) at 124/8 which puts in perspective how dire the situation was. The game was basically done. Laxman then wins the game in 2 hours with 73* (79) with India 9 wickets down. Words don't do justice to how epic that innings was. I don't think any other batsmen i've ever watched could play that innings. It was a lot more absurd than a standard ATG 4th innings 150 or a 200+ score from behind imo because of how fragile the situation was. The 281 was a greater innings and probably the best innings of all time but not as insane as that 73.
It was arguably not even his best innings for the year - which was the
96 against SA in Durban when Steyn was absolutely rampant with nobody else on either side crossing the 30s (and Laxman scoring 38 in his other innings
) on either side in the entire game. Laxman did ****all for the entire series and averaged 30-odd but batting-wise single-handedly won us the only game we won that series by top scoring in both innings.
2010 also had his match-saving and series winning
91 against NZ from a 15-5 collapse and India were staring at almost certainly being on the other end of a massive upset with Sehwag, Gambhir, Dravid, Tendulkar and Raina having made 13 runs between them of which Tendulkar scored 12.
In fact in every significant victory in 2010/11, which was that generation's Indian test team's 'No.1' pinnacle year, Laxman played a significant role. While the stats and batting rankings will disagree, Laxman was the single most important player in us maintaining it, in my opinion, for that brief stretch of time. All those non-100 knocks basically would have entire series outcomes changed if not for them.
In a way, the strengths of Hayden/Sehwag and of Laxman are different, especially later in his career. They were the guys you want to score the massive **** you double hundred in the first test of the first innings at home. Laxman was the guy you want batting for you when the opposing pacer has 6/38 on a pitch where no player on either side has scored more than 35, your batting order has collapsed and you are desperate to have someone to make the 74/188 who will get you to harbor safely. The first is arguably more important as the bread and butter for a great test side but the latter is more uniquely very, very special imo.
