Was disappointed with coach Anil Kumble's ouster, says VVS Laxman

Laxman also spoke about his disappointing ODI career and missing out on the World Cup in 2003 at the launch of his book "281 and Beyond."

VVS Laxman | PTI

The unfortunate fall-out between skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Anil Kumble before the eventual ouster of leg-spinning great from the set-up was a highly disappointing affair, said for India batsman VVS Laxman at the launch of his book, "281 and Beyond."

Still saddened by how two people with only the welfare of Indian Cricket mind, didn't quite went along well, VVS was quoted saying, "It was unfortunate. l thought it could have been managed much better. There is no doubt about that."

Meanwhile, still shattered by his exile from the squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2003, Laxman feels, “I am definitely not satisfied with my ODI performance. Till 2001, I never understood the ODI game till I scored a century in Goa. My game suited at the top of the order, No. 3, not at five or six. I was not meant for the finisher’s role."

"But there was so much class at the top of the order (Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid), there was no place for me. I was determined to play the World Cup — not being part of it was shattering. In a series prior to that, I was the highest scorer."

"I don’t blame anybody though there was a time I thought of leaving the game. Luckily, there was a five-month gap after the World Cup, and there was time for recovery,” he added. “I used to be consistently dropped from the side after two or three failures. I used to be called a non-regular opener. I was not enjoying that tag and being in and out of the side."

"I wanted to win matches for the country, and for that to happen I had to score runs consistently which was possible only if I was in the middle-order. In 2000, I decided I was not going to open anymore," he signed off.

(Inputs from Mumbai Mirror)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 23 Nov, 2018

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