From the publishers of THE HINDU Vol. 25 :: No. 21 :: May 25 - 31, 2002	Home Contents
	COVER STORY Men for the occasion VIJAY LOKAPALLY IT takes character and conviction to pass the test when the conditions challenge you to give off your best. Such a situation may not come about on a regular basis but when it does happen, the experience makes you wiser, and stronger. Only men of calibre make a place for themselves by excelling in such exacting situations and one came across two such performers in V. V. S. Laxman and Ajay Ratra. When they landed in the West Indies, each had a course to chart. For Laxman, it was again a journey of proving himself. Ratra, too, had to prove himself against some stiff competition from Deep Dasgupta. Looking back, Ratra getting a Test century was the best thing to have happened to Indian cricket. This, at a time when the team is in the process of identifying reliable players for the season ahead. V. V. KRISHNAN Building a side can be an arduous task and the Indian selectors had been saddled with the vexing problem of finding a decent wicketkeeper. "There's none on the horizon," the chairman, Chandu Borde, had remarked as his committee experimented with a few names. Dasgupta was probably the least qualified, but then he had the support of skipper Sourav Ganguly and the story floated by one of the selectors - that Nayan Mongia was not wanted by the team - also helped the cause of the Bengal wicketkeeper. So, Ratra was left with little support. For him, to convince the selectors was one big exercise, but he never lost heart. His humble background ensured that this 20-year-old stayed on the right track. For Ratra, cricket is more than a mere game. "It's my life," is how he described his passion to wear the India cap. There was such a striking similarity between Laxman's epic innings at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata against Australia and the one by Ratra against the West Indies at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St. John's. For Laxman, that innings established him in the side. For Ratra too, St. John's was an effort which cemented his rightful place as the first choice wicketkeeper of the team. When he stepped out to bat, Ratra was aware that a failure here would keep him out of the next Test. The captain had spoken of his desire to revert to Dasgupta because "he can bat". So Ratra had to show that he could bat too. Dasgupta lurking in the background provided the right impetus to Ratra, who crafted a century to settle the argument. There should be no further debate now as to who is the best wicketkeeper in the country. True, Mongia qualifies for the post but then he is a victim of a conspiracy scripted by the National selectors. It is indeed a shame the manner in which Mongia has been denied a place but then it has helped Ratra's cause no end. Laxman was the right man for Ratra to look up to. The gentle Hyderabadi too had been subjected to all kinds of tests imposed by a very demanding selection committee and a coach who concentrated on breaking his resolve by not allowing Laxman to bat in the middle order. It is now well known how Laxman strove to establish himself in the side and he took a significant step in his career by letting it known to the selectors that he should only be considered as a middle order batsman. Essentially the message was that he should not be considered as an opener. Well, it was Ratra's fortune that he had Laxman for company. "I shall always be indebted to Laxman because his guidance was the most important thing. He kept telling me what to do and what not to do and in fact it appeared to me at times that he was more interested in me getting the runs. I've played with Laxman in the past too and know how he cares for his partners. I was lucky to have him in the middle", said Ratra. The double-hundred partnership between Laxman and Ratra gave a new dimension to the team's determination to win a series overseas. It was a wonderful exhibition of application and Ratra deserved special mention. It was the stiffest test of his career, in just his third Test. Any failure would have meant losing his place to Dasgupta and that would have been disastrous for the team itself. For Ratra is a far superior wicketkeeper to Dasgupta and with this century, he has proved that he is on a par on the batting front too, if not better. Laxman spoke for Ratra from the heart. "I thought he batted brilliantly. I have seen him progress from the ranks and was always convinced that he had the greatest determination among the youngsters. I wasn't surprised that Ratra played an innings of this quality because he had always promised one. I feel very happy for him," said the modest Laxman, who underplayed his own performance. Laxman's century was elegance in its best form. Right from the time he batted at Georgetown in the first Test, he had looked so sure of himself. His footwork was in place, shot selection more assured and a pleasant departure from the past. Not that he curbed his natural instincts to attack, but Laxman was far more composed in the middle. "I'm happy with the way I've batted. It was always a dream to score a Test century in the West Indies and I was glad to score one when the team needed it," remarked Laxman, who had produced two vital half-centuries in the second Test at Port of Spain to enable the team win a keen contest. The search for a quality wicketkeeper should now end with Ratra. His confidence level was certainly low when he walked out to bat, but having come through the ranks he was quick to realise that a good showing would mean a fruition of his dreams. "I was sure that I could bat well in any condition, but I needed a little luck too. I'm glad that things worked my way," said a beaming Ratra. Watching Laxman guide the young partner may have prompted Sunil Gavaskar to look at the lanky strokemaker as a possible candidate for captaincy in the future. No such thoughts crossed Laxman's mind though because he is a man who keeps to himself and believes the best way to make a point is by performing. Indian cricket took quite a significant step forward through Laxman and Ratra. Their partnership added to the depth of the batting line-up, convincing the team management that the future lay in investing in Ratra. For Laxman, it was a case of extending his brilliant form in this series. "I've enjoyed the timing most," he said of his batting success in the West Indies. In a season which will require the Indian cricketers to be consistent in varying conditions, it indeed counts a lot to see Laxman and Ratra come together and craft centuries to give the lower middle order a distinct image. The batsmen in the top half, too, can look forward to support from this quarter now. It will benefit the team immensely now that Ratra has emerged as the first-choice wicketkeeper through an effort reminding me of the grit and determination that Syed Kirmani had. This show by Ratra should please the former great who had gone on record praising the Haryana lad's glovework. I would give credit to Laxman for not only his classy century, but also for motivating Ratra to raise his level of batsmanship. They complemented each other so well and in their working selflessly for each other lay the greatest gain for the team from the Test at Antigua. Laxman took one more determined step towards proving his credentials to his critics with his third Test century and Ratra made a giant stride to win an argument hands down. Their success indeed augurs well for Indian cricket. Contents • Daily Sports • The Hindu • Business Line • Frontline • Home Copyright © 2002 The Sportstar Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Sportstar.