A man of his talent and temperament should have more than 16 hundreds from 114 Tests. It will stand the scrutiny of time that not only have many of his runs come in tough situations but against the toughest opponents. No team has beaten Australia in more Tests than India since Laxman started playing, and to these nine wins, from Kolkata to Mumbai, Chennai to Mohali, Adelaide to Perth, Laxman has contributed over 1000 runs at 71.80. Yes, Laxman bats as if he were not merely in another game but another era.And only a Test ago he guided India to a series-levelling win in Colombo, with an assured hundred in the final innings of the match. That the 103 not out is his first fourth-innings hundred is merely a daunting thought, not a reflection of the man's ability in crisis.
And Laxman has learnt and adapted to batting with the tail, but his natural game is suited to batting at the top, when the bowlers have to set fields to get him out rather than offer him a single to get his partner on strike. And in yesterday's performance, it was not the ease and poise with which he batted but the circumstances he mastered that will grant this innings its greatness - and simply chasing with the tail requires nerves of skill.
His batsmanship may be termed "attacking" but Laxman's cricket contains no offence. He cannot be replaced nor replicated
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