VVS Laxman ek baar phir Indian cricket team ke saath England mein nazar aaye hain, aur logon ke dimaag mein sawal ghoom rahe hain – yeh kya karne aaye hain? Koi role hai ya bas aise hi ghoomne ka mood ban gaya? Indian team ke head coach Gautam Gambhir ke ghar mein personal emergency ki wajah se unke na hone ka faida utha rahe hain kya? Ya phir yeh National Cricket Academy (NCA) ke head ke roop mein apni chhuttiyan bita rahe hain? Jo bhi ho, yeh drama June 20 se shuru hone wale pehle Test match se pehle kaafi spicy lag raha hai, jo Headingley mein khela jayega. Lekin sach kahu, yeh sab dekhkar thodi si hansi bhi aati hai – har baar jab team ke saath koi nayi cheez hoti hai, hum log overthink karne lagte hain
Chalo, thodi si khurafat chhodkar seedhe mudde pe aate hain. VVS Laxman ka Indian team ke saath dikhna koi nayi baat nahi hai. Woh pehle bhi kai baar team ke saath coaching ya mentoring ke roop mein dikhe hain. Yaad hai 2024 ka woh South Africa T20I series? Jab Gambhir Australia mein Border-Gavaskar Trophy ke liye team ke saath the, tab Laxman ne hi team ki zimmedari sambhali thi. Aur kya result tha? India ne 4-1 se series jeet li! Iska matlab yeh nahi ki Laxman koi jaadugar hain, lekin unka experience aur shant swabhav team ke liye hamesha kaam aata hai. Woh 281 runs wala Kolkata Test match ka hero toh hai hi, jisme Australia ke Steve Waugh ki team ko dhool chata di thi. Aisa player jab team ke aas-paas hota hai, toh naye khiladiyon ka confidence badhta hai, khas taur pe jab baat England jaise tough conditions mein khelne ki ho.
Ab thodi si tareef Indian team ke naye captain Shubman Gill ki bhi kar lete hain. Rohit Sharma aur Virat Kohli ke Test cricket se sanayas lene ke baad, Gill ke kandhon pe badi zimmedari hai. Lekin yeh banda toh waise bhi pressure mein shine karta hai. Yaad hai 2021 ka Gabba Test? Jab Gill ne 91 runs maare the aur India ne Australia ko unke ghar mein hara diya tha? Aisa hi kuch Headingley mein dekhne ko mil sakta hai. Aur sath mein Rishabh Pant bhi hain, jo apne dhamakedaar andaaz se kisi bhi bowling attack ko pareshan kar sakte hain. Yeh nayi Indian team shayad purani wali jaisi experienced nahi, lekin inme ek alag si energy hai. Aur agar Laxman jaise koi unke saath hai, toh shayad yeh energy ek bade jeet mein badal sakti hai.
Lekin yeh Headingley ka maidan bhi toh koi mamuli jagah nahi. 2002 mein India ne yahan England ko ek innings aur 46 runs se hara tha, jab Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, aur Sourav Ganguly ne shandaar centuries maari thi. Lekin uske baad se India ke liye Headingley mein jeetna itna aasan nahi raha. England ke bowlers, khas taur pe James Anderson, jo ab bhi apne swing se kisi bhi batsman ko pareshaan kar sakta hai, yahan ke conditions mein aur bhi khatarnak ho jate hain. Aur Joe Root toh waise bhi India ke khilaaf hamesha form mein rehta hai. 2021 ke Headingley Test mein usne 121 runs maare the, jab England ne India ko ek innings se hara diya tha. Toh yeh sochna ki India aaram se jeet jayega, thoda sa bachpana hai.
Ab thodi si baat Laxman ke “no role confirmed” wale mystery ki bhi kar lete hain. Cricbuzz ke mutabik, Laxman officially team ke saath kisi bhi role mein nahi hain. Woh India U-19 team ke saath England mein hain, aur shayad bas team ke practice sessions dekhne aaye honge. Lekin yeh baat thodi hazam nahi hoti. Jab team ka head coach ghar pe ho, aur ek aisa legend practice ground pe dikhe, toh kya woh sirf chai peene aaya hai? Shayad BCCI ne unhe koi chhupa hua role diya ho, ya phir woh bas apne experience se team ko thodi si direction de rahe hain. Jo bhi ho, Laxman ka yun achanak dikhna team ke liye ek boost toh banta hai.
Aakhir mein, yeh sochne wali baat hai ki Indian team ke liye yeh series ek naye daur ka aagaz hai. Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, aur KL Rahul jaise khiladi is team ke future hain. Aur agar VVS Laxman jaise koi unke saath hai, toh shayad yeh nayi shuruaat kuch khaas kar sakti hai. Lekin cricket hai, yahan kuch bhi ho sakta hai. Headingley ke cloudy skies aur swinging conditions mein, India ka yeh young brigade kitna tik paayega, yeh dekhna banta hai. Aur waise bhi, jab baat India-England series ki ho, toh drama toh banta hai. Ab yeh drama jeet ka hoga ya phir ek aur disappointment ka, yeh toh June 20 ko hi pata chalega. Tab tak, thodi si popcorn taiyaar rakhiye, kyunki yeh match boring toh nahi hone wala!
