Laxman belonged to the rare breed of cricketers who put the team's interest first than personal interests. He was one of the pillars of our Cricket team which Dada Saurav built brick by brick almost painstakingly with the team having become the only one who could challenge the hegemony of Australia in all forms of Cricket. The innings he played together with Rahul Dravid at Eden Gardens and as well as at Sydney were perhaps one of the few innings that anyone would love to watch all the time. On both the occasions, India came from behind to record victories and Laxman was the performer who maintained a calm and cool composure. Bishen Bedi rightly ranked his 281 at Eden Gardens as perhaps the best Test innings by an indian Test batsman while Wisden has recorded that one of all time greats. It was unfortunate that three legendary cricketers of modern era, Saurav, Rahul and Laxman were playing in the era of so called God of Cricket Sachin Tendulkar that they were always ignored inreckoking. It is alleged that the selectors infuriated Laxman this time, remininding that the Newzealand Series is probably his last which made Laxman to call it quits before ignominy strikes.

Laxman together with Dravid and Ganguly brought indian cricket to new heights that we are eternally indebted to this trio for having made the team a fighting unit- almost similar or even better than the Kapils' Devils of 1983.

Au revoir Laxman, may your tribes increase