VVS Laxman's career in numbers

VVS Laxman holds a prominent position in Indian cricket history as he guided the side to many victories from toughest of positions. The 6 feet 1-inch tall player’s batting is a pleasure to eyes and was well known for his wristy batting. Laxman places himself among the highest run-getters for India in Test cricket and is also known for dominating Indian domestic cricket at the same time.

On the occasion of the very very special player’s 43rd birthday, we look at the records he attained during his career:

2 – Number of triple centuries Laxman scored in the Ranji Trophy. He scored 301* against Bihar in 1998 and 353 against Karnataka in 2000 which is the 6th highest individual score in the tournament. Ravindra Jadeja (3), Wasim Jaffer (2) and Cheteshwar Pujara are the only others to score more than one triple hundred in the Ranji Trophy.

63.98 – Percentage of runs in India’s total that he contributed in the 3rd innings of the Sydney Test against Australia in 2000. Laxman scored 167 out of India’s 261 which is the highest % for any Indian in a completed Test innings and overall the 3rd highest.

80.06 – His batting average of 80.06 in the Ranji Trophy is the highest for any player with over 5000 runs. Laxman scored 5764 runs in 83 innings with 23 centuries and 19 fifties. His tally is the 2nd highest for the Hyderabad team in Ranji Trophy behind MV Sridhar’s 6056 runs.

110.63 – He averages 110.63 in Test cricket at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. He is one of the five players and the only Indian to score over 1000 Test runs at a venue with an average over 100. He scored 1217 runs in 15 innings with five centuries and three fifties. Don Bradman (128.53) at MCG, Greg Chappell (111.77) at Brisbane, Gary Sobers (104.15) at Jamaica and Michael Clarke (103) at Brisbane hold averages over 100 at a venue in Test cricket.

134 – Number of Test matches Laxman has featured in without ever leading the team. These are the most number of Tests any player has been a part of without ever captaining. Shane Warne appeared in 145 Tests in his career, all as a player.

281 – His 281-run knock against Australia in 2001 at Kolkata is the 2nd highest for any player in a following-on inning. Pakistan’s Hanif Mohammad scored 337 against Windies at Bridgetown in 1958. Laxman’s knock is the 5th highest and the highest for an Indian in the 2nd innings (3rd or 4th innings of a Test).

443 – Laxman’s 443 runs in the VB Tri Series in 2004 are the most for an Indian in an ODI series/tournament on Australian soil. The three hundreds he pulled off in that series is the most for an Indian and overall he is one of the five players to score three hundreds in an ODI series/tournament in Australia.

586 – The runs he has scored in Test cricket while batting in a follow-on inning. These are the 2nd most runs for any player after Andy Flower’s 635. In the six innings, while following-on, Laxman scored 586 runs at an incredible average of 146.50 with two centuries and two fifties.

1415 – Runs Laxman scored in the Ranji Trophy 1990/00 season. These are the most runs by any player in a single Ranji Trophy season. His eight centuries in that season are also the most by any player in a single Ranji season.

2434 – The runs he scored against Australia in Test cricket are the most for him against any opponent. His tally of 2434 runs against the Aussies is the 4th most for any player and the most by an Indian against an opponent without hitting a six.

7974 – Number of balls Laxman went without hitting a six in Test cricket between March 2005 and December 2010. No other player managed such a long streak without striking a six since 2001. Jonathan Trott never hit a six in the 8128 balls he faced in his Test cricket.

8781 – VVS Laxman’s Test aggregate of 8781 runs is the 4th highest for any Indian in this format. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sunil Gavaskar scored over 10000 runs in their respective Test careers.