India have barely had the chance to get over Rahul Dravid’s retirement but now they might have to cope with the absence of another legend soon.
According to a report in The Hindu, VVS Laxman, is contemplating retirement by the end of the two-Test series against New Zealand which begins on 23 August.
Is it over for Laxman? AFP
The report says:
Visibly hurt by the comments that by continuing to play for India he is blocking the chances of youngsters, a disappointed Laxman is now contemplating retirement from cricket and is expected to make a formal announcement either tomorrow or the day after.
Even though his fitness issues haven’t allowed Laxman to make a mark in ODI, in Test cricket, he emerged as one of India’s finest batsmen. The 37-year-old made his Test debut in 1996 against South Africa and has played 134 Tests since then. His average of 45.97 isn’t the greatest but the nature of his runs marked him out as a special batsman.
Laxman informed The Hindu that the retirement plans are being discussed: “A final decision will be taken about the exact details of my plans by this evening,” he said.
If Laxman does decide to retire, India will need to figure out how to plug the gap. This doesn’t seem like a decision which took the Indian selectors into confidence and with England scheduled to visit for a Test tour later in the year, the Indian batting could find itself in a bit of trouble.
