Disclaimer: I do not often write about cricket. However, I felt I would lose all my rights to writing if I didn't pen my feelings on this issue. An old warrior fighting his lone battle: forsaken by friends, pursued hotly by his enemies clamoring for his head. A pen shouldn't remain silent in these issues: Otherwise it would have to surrender its right to write; forever....
Often we mimic life, but sometimes, just sometimes, life decides to mimic us. Often we look at an incident, and exclaim: Hey, that's what life is! Life, however, sits back, and watches the proceedings with an amused smile on its face, often uttering: how naive, how silly! But sometimes the great gladiators force life into an arena, daring to fight it, single-handedly. Life, despite the audacity of the gladiators, do face them: and fight them fair and square. Some win, others get a second chance; some are forestalled! A fight with life is on the cards now: the question is- will life allow itself to fight the mighty Hannibal of modern world cricket? Or will it prefer to sit back and watch in amusement?
Once Cronje had exclaimed: cricket to me is a reflection of life. The vagaries of a hypocrite society has ensured that he is no longer a part of the proceedings; but perhaps, he wouldn't find a better example than the play being enacted now in the classical battlefields of Australia. Perth could be the destination of that grand fight between Life and the greatest warrior of modern times: Laxman; Or it could be the scene where life, taking an unfair advantage skips the battle by incapacitating the warrior prior to the scheduled fight.
Cricket could be amusing at times. It could also be poetic. But rarely is it so painfully melodious. To the Indian "fans" he remains Laxman, yet another instance where a surname becomes a name, and does justice to it! In Indian Mythology, Laxman was the brother of the greatest Indian Prince, elevated to the level of God. Great warrior though he was, he was rarely mentioned. His sacrifices did not merit a poet's lyrics. Sadly, it has been the case with this Very Very Special man here too.
Test Cricket is not for the faint-hearted. Neither it is for those impatient men who fail to appreciate the beauty of a ball swinging past the bat, a solid defence, or a well judged leave. We indeed have lost the desire to stand and stare, and in this fast paced life the obituary of Test Cricket is all but written. Yet, so interestingly, life has got its revenge! It is in Test Cricket that Life reveals itself it the various forms, inflicting pleasure and pain alike to the viewers and the players. Life asks serious questions here, and provides beautiful answers too! But its only those who have the ability to read the language decipher the story. The rest are left behind in a make-belief world. Embark on a journey with me through the lush green outfields and the hard greenish brown 22 yards in the middle: and I shall attempt to tell you the tale of a Gladiator fighting for his last chance to face Life.
Let's first wind the clocks back to about a decade. Chips were down: even the bravest soldiers and supporters laid their guns. Defeat was certain. It takes more than a man to fight back from here. It takes more than an idea to clutch victory from the impending Defeat. But when some one does it, He become more than a man, more than an idea: he becomes a Symbol. VVS Laxman played the innings of his life on the Cricketing battlefield of a ground so aptly named Eden! After a decade however, he finds himself in the mercy of a few jokers, unworthy to tie his shoe lace, decide his Fate. As a symbol he could fight them all: prove all of them wrong time and again, performing the improbables and impossibles as a matter of daily routine. However, as a man he can't fight them: he has to wait for their signal to perform that last magic. It is here that Life could enter the arena: It is here that the jokers could take away his sword, and his right to fight.
Even a year ago the Fav Three were sacrosanct. No one raised a finger at their abilities, or for that matter, at their age. Laxman perhaps is the most under-rated of these stars, and hence it is no surprise that he's the Chosen One for the Big Sacrifice in the name of rebuilding a future. A few failures, the lack of which would have defied the cricketing law of averages, now are seen as writing on the wall to get him axed. True, he hasn't performed well in Overseas for a long time, but then does it merit his exclusion? Remember, even when he is on song, when the cherry vanishes out of sights implored on by the mighty wrists, which can effortlessly play the same ball in two orthogonal directions, he doesn't make the most of it. He is a true character, he is not an accumulator of runs. Amongst the Fav three, each one performs a different duty. The Wall defends the Castle, The Little Master charges and command the attack. When these two have failed, does this man come out as the only symbol of Hope, keeping defeat at bay through an impossible charisma. Be it the match winning 281, a battling 96 against SA, or a 73 with a number 10 alongside to seal those thrilling moments forever engraved in the hearts of the ardent followers of Life Test Cricket. So it's wrong to exclude him just on the meritds of average: Laxman doesn't play for runs, he plays for wins! To exclude him at this juncture, denying him a chance to get even with life, deny him to bat just once in Waca could be a real injustice. I sincerely hope that that doesn't happen!
It has happened earlier, it will happen again. We in India do not shower our attention and heart on the brazen soldiers: the Handsome Conductor gets the kudos. It might not be an exception now! The fighter could lose before the battle begins: but if he doesn't, mark my words, he shall prove to life that he is still capable of turning the tables around! 
