When VVS Laxman got angry on the field; Suresh Raina recalls a rare incident

Bengaluru, June 3: VVS Laxman is known for his affableness and calm temper as a cricketer. But Suresh Raina recalled an instance when the usually smiling Laxman lost his cool. The incident came in the Mohali Test against Australia in 2010.

Laxman played a talismanic role in India's nail-biting one wicket win over Australia in the 2010 Mohali Test. Chasing 216 to win on the final day, the hosts found themselves 124/8 with Laxman batting with the tail.

He was battling a back injury and yet he dragged India all the way to the finish line from that point, stitching an 81-run stand for the penultimate wicket with Ishant Sharma and then batting with no.11 Pragyan Ojha.

Suresh Raina was the fourth wicket to fall in the innings but he was caught in the thick of the action as Laxman's runner. Raina recalled the dramatic final moments of the chase in a chat with former India opener and commentator Aakash Chopra on the latter's YouTube show AakashVani.

"Laxman had a back spasm so I had to go in as his runner. I had never seen Laxman so angry. He was like 'Run Ojha Run!' Before that Ishant Sharma was there with him. Mitchell Johnson was reversing the ball," said Raina.

"I was prepared to dive for anything. I had decided that I'll dive if I have slightest of doubts because Laxman had to stay there," he said.

Laxman ended the match unbeaten on 73 off 79 balls while Ojha made what has to be the most valuable five runs of his Test career. Over the years, Laxman played some fine innings especially against Australia, then the strongest cricket team. A hundred at Adelaide in 1999, that epochal 281 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata, etc have been etched in the annals of cricket forever. Laxman retired from cricket in 2012 after India's tour of Australia.