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281 and Beyond
A stylish batsman who could score against any kind of bowling, VVS Laxman played over a hundred Tests to aggregate more than 8,000 runs. Cricket fans still remember with awe his game-changing knock of 281 against Australia in 2001 at Eden Gardens. But playing for India was never easy. He was dropped as often as he was picked, and despite his vast experience and unimpeachable skill, he never made it to a World Cup team.
All through his playing years, Laxman was known to be a soft-spoken man who kept his distance from controversy. Which is what makes this autobiography truly special. It’s candid and reflective, happy and sad by turns, and deeply insightful. He writes of dressing-room meltdowns and champagne evenings, the exhilaration of playing with and against the best in the world, the nuances of batting in different formats and on various pitches, the learnings with John Wright and the rocky times under Greg Chappell.
In 281 and Beyond, Laxman lays bare the ecstasy and the trauma of being one of the chosen XI in a country that is devoted to cricket.
All through his playing years, Laxman was known to be a soft-spoken man who kept his distance from controversy. Which is what makes this autobiography truly special. It’s candid and reflective, happy and sad by turns, and deeply insightful. He writes of dressing-room meltdowns and champagne evenings, the exhilaration of playing with and against the best in the world, the nuances of batting in different formats and on various pitches, the learnings with John Wright and the rocky times under Greg Chappell.
In 281 and Beyond, Laxman lays bare the ecstasy and the trauma of being one of the chosen XI in a country that is devoted to cricket.
Audiobook
First published November 19, 2018
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About the author
V.V.S. Laxman
3 books2 followersVangipurapu Venkata Sai Laxman commonly known as V.V.S. Laxman (often VVS, and sometimes as "Very Very Special"), is a former Indian cricketer and currently a cricket commentator.
Laxman was an aggressive right-hand batsman who played mostly in the lower middle order. He is known for his numerous match-winning and match-saving innings, and his special ability to consolidate unprecedented support from non-specialist tail-end batsmen to do this has accorded him a unique status among cricketing legends. Laxman performed outstandingly well against the best team of his time, Australia, and his knock of 281 against them in Eden Gardens in 2001 is often considered as the greatest ever test-innings. In 2011, Laxman was awarded the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award.
Laxman is one of the few players to have played 100 Tests without ever playing in a Cricket World Cup. Despite being a relatively slow runner between wickets, Laxman compensated this with his masterful stroke play and a tremendous ability to counter-attack aggressive bowling and fielding tactics. However, throughout this career, he experienced an inexplicable conundrum of being asked to prove himself over and over and again to find a place in the national team.
In domestic cricket, Laxman represented Hyderabad. He also played for Lancashire in the English county cricket. He was also the captain of the Deccan Chargers team in the Indian Premier League during its inaugural season. In 2002, he was named one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year. Later, he played for the Kochi Tuskers IPL team.
In 2012, Laxman retired from international cricket
Laxman was an aggressive right-hand batsman who played mostly in the lower middle order. He is known for his numerous match-winning and match-saving innings, and his special ability to consolidate unprecedented support from non-specialist tail-end batsmen to do this has accorded him a unique status among cricketing legends. Laxman performed outstandingly well against the best team of his time, Australia, and his knock of 281 against them in Eden Gardens in 2001 is often considered as the greatest ever test-innings. In 2011, Laxman was awarded the Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award.
Laxman is one of the few players to have played 100 Tests without ever playing in a Cricket World Cup. Despite being a relatively slow runner between wickets, Laxman compensated this with his masterful stroke play and a tremendous ability to counter-attack aggressive bowling and fielding tactics. However, throughout this career, he experienced an inexplicable conundrum of being asked to prove himself over and over and again to find a place in the national team.
In domestic cricket, Laxman represented Hyderabad. He also played for Lancashire in the English county cricket. He was also the captain of the Deccan Chargers team in the Indian Premier League during its inaugural season. In 2002, he was named one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Year. Later, he played for the Kochi Tuskers IPL team.
In 2012, Laxman retired from international cricket
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
March 8, 2021
An honest biography. VVS was a great cricketer who for some reason or the other didn't get a fair deal or the recognition in his era. The information on VVS laxman has been well webbed into stories which makes it a good read. Book does help you to flow through the memory lane of that progressing era of Indian cricket and cricketing greats. He avoids gossip, he makes sharp, insightful comments about the players and coaches he worked with all of his teammates, plus John Wright, Greg Chappell and Gary Kirsten. Through book you will come to know lot about VVS Laxman in depth.
November 24, 2018
Book gives a very detailed account (~300 pages with small print) of VVS Laxman's cricketing journey from his school days to his retirement from Indian cricket in 2012. First & foremost the book is only for someone who's deeply interested in cricket and who has followed Indian test cricket over the period of 1994-2012. If you haven't been a regular follower I wouldn't recommend the book.
The book is reasonably well edited though I would have preferred a slightly shorter version. VVS goes in details through almost each of the Indian tours covering most of the test matches from those tours. Sometimes it can get dry for some of the readers. Apart from this I don't have any issues with the book.
I felt I relived the Indian test cricket played during his era. I don't remember if VVS has missed any of the major Indian cricket event (especially test cricket) be it - 98s sand storm of Sachin, match fixing scandal of early 2000, beginning of Ganguly and John Wright’s era, ball tampering scandal involving Sachin in 2001, India’s 2001 test series win against Australia in India, India's poor performance in NZs tour of 2002 (pre 2003 world cup), monkey gate scandal and Bucknor’s poor umpiring in Australian tour of 2007-08 and the famous saga of Greg Chappel as an Indian coach.
Throughout the book, I felt Laxman has been brutally honest. He didn’t hid his frustrations of not getting picked up for 2003 world cup, of not being communicated properly from team management during his early stage of career and of his constant sacking from Indian test squad after few poor shows. He is also honest about his strengths, weakness, about his relationships with his uncle, parents, spouse, his peers and all his past coaches. Despite being such a huge star he never mentions any of his coaches without entitling them with sir. He also goes in detail about his county stints and the relationships he forged over there.
The part that I really liked the most is where he has differentiated between Sourav and Sachin as a captain. I think those few paragraphs succinctly explained (without demeaning Sachin’s contribution as a captain) what made Sourav one of the finest captains of Indian cricket team. Other section that I really enjoyed was how John’s era as a coach made all the difference in the Indian cricket team. Throughout the book VVS has provided many anecdotal evidences that bring the characters and instances alive in front of you.
Overall a great read for a hard core Indian cricket fan!
The book is reasonably well edited though I would have preferred a slightly shorter version. VVS goes in details through almost each of the Indian tours covering most of the test matches from those tours. Sometimes it can get dry for some of the readers. Apart from this I don't have any issues with the book.
I felt I relived the Indian test cricket played during his era. I don't remember if VVS has missed any of the major Indian cricket event (especially test cricket) be it - 98s sand storm of Sachin, match fixing scandal of early 2000, beginning of Ganguly and John Wright’s era, ball tampering scandal involving Sachin in 2001, India’s 2001 test series win against Australia in India, India's poor performance in NZs tour of 2002 (pre 2003 world cup), monkey gate scandal and Bucknor’s poor umpiring in Australian tour of 2007-08 and the famous saga of Greg Chappel as an Indian coach.
Throughout the book, I felt Laxman has been brutally honest. He didn’t hid his frustrations of not getting picked up for 2003 world cup, of not being communicated properly from team management during his early stage of career and of his constant sacking from Indian test squad after few poor shows. He is also honest about his strengths, weakness, about his relationships with his uncle, parents, spouse, his peers and all his past coaches. Despite being such a huge star he never mentions any of his coaches without entitling them with sir. He also goes in detail about his county stints and the relationships he forged over there.
The part that I really liked the most is where he has differentiated between Sourav and Sachin as a captain. I think those few paragraphs succinctly explained (without demeaning Sachin’s contribution as a captain) what made Sourav one of the finest captains of Indian cricket team. Other section that I really enjoyed was how John’s era as a coach made all the difference in the Indian cricket team. Throughout the book VVS has provided many anecdotal evidences that bring the characters and instances alive in front of you.
Overall a great read for a hard core Indian cricket fan!
January 28, 2020
So after many days of just reading couple of pages and then finishing a chapter I was finally able to finish this book. This was another one in the list of Cricket biographies and after many before including Indians and cricketers outside India, this one is done too, for me, the writing was slightly dry and wasn't enough to hold your attention for long or at least it was the case with me. I loved watching VVS when he was on song. So it was nice to read about the stuff which is invisible on the ground. I still remember the 281 and the match and so does VVS and every cricket lover. In fact, I also bought the Video CD of high lights of the series and loved watching it in the pre-youtube era. Coming back to the book it was a nice read and I am now confused about which cricket biography to read next Sunny Ji or Steve Ji. Ah well, I will focus on finishing the multitudes of books for a long time in the "Currently Reading" first.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
People who don't read generally ask me my reasons for reading. Simply put I just love reading and so to that end I have made it my motto to just Keep on Reading. I love to read everything except for Self Help books but even those once in a while. I read almost all the genre but YA, Fantasy, Biographies are the most. My favorite series is, of course, Harry Potter but then there are many more books that I just adore. I have bookcases filled with books which are waiting to be read so can't stay and spend more time in this review, so remember I loved reading this and love reading more, you should also read what you love and then just Keep on Reading.
January 29, 2019
3.5/5 On the positive side, this book describes Laxman’s life in cricket very well - how his interest was awakened in childhood, the turmoil while making cricket a career vs medicine, the difficulties of settling in the Indian national side, his modest successes and failures in being a limited overs player, his relationships with teammates and above all the onfield game. Also, he provided glimpses of his personal life and family.
Laxman has earned respect as a gentleman - both in his behaviour and in the way he stroked the ball. However, here he has also candidly shared his frustrations when he failed to understand the motivations of the Indian team management. Both this and his “spirituality” felt repetitive but also were honest and heartfelt.
On the negative side, books such as these are also read by fans to relive those wonderful onfield moments. Laxman mostly talks about his mindset and his batting and fails to present the complete picture. A couple of examples - The Ishant over to Ponting in Perth 2008 and the hype around Tait who never played a test again are not mentioned. Neither is the fact that India didnt opt to chase the target of 90-odd in 19 overs to win the 3rd test against Windies in 2011. Also, he could have presented his point-of-view on a few more issues.
Read if u liked Laxman, but unfortunately all Indian cricketer autobiographies fall short of Gavaskar’s superb memoirs which both informed and entertained.
Laxman has earned respect as a gentleman - both in his behaviour and in the way he stroked the ball. However, here he has also candidly shared his frustrations when he failed to understand the motivations of the Indian team management. Both this and his “spirituality” felt repetitive but also were honest and heartfelt.
On the negative side, books such as these are also read by fans to relive those wonderful onfield moments. Laxman mostly talks about his mindset and his batting and fails to present the complete picture. A couple of examples - The Ishant over to Ponting in Perth 2008 and the hype around Tait who never played a test again are not mentioned. Neither is the fact that India didnt opt to chase the target of 90-odd in 19 overs to win the 3rd test against Windies in 2011. Also, he could have presented his point-of-view on a few more issues.
Read if u liked Laxman, but unfortunately all Indian cricketer autobiographies fall short of Gavaskar’s superb memoirs which both informed and entertained.
January 9, 2019
After Sachin and Ganguly, it is VVS' turn for a memoir. Sachin's was a prosaic regurgitation of score-cards and centuries (a century of centuries,at that). Ganguly's could have been a classic but falls short as he resorts to taking life lessons for aspiring cricketers once in few pages. Laxman limits cricketing advice to the technical knowhow of batting and co-writes a classic (with R.Kaushik) which charts his story from that of a good boy born into a doctors' family to a magician who pulverised the likes of Warne into submission.
From Sydney to Kolkata to Adelaide to Colombo to Mohali to Durban , Laxman relives every memory with rich detail. Even as this review is being written, an interview of Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul is going viral for the wrong reasons. Reading this book might help us wash those sins and look back at those times when some of the Gentlemen who represented our cricket were Very Very Special.
From Sydney to Kolkata to Adelaide to Colombo to Mohali to Durban , Laxman relives every memory with rich detail. Even as this review is being written, an interview of Hardik Pandya and K L Rahul is going viral for the wrong reasons. Reading this book might help us wash those sins and look back at those times when some of the Gentlemen who represented our cricket were Very Very Special.
March 30, 2019
One of the best autobiographies that I have read of a cricketer. To be honest, I didn't know much about VVS Laxman apart from his exploits on the cricket field. This book gives an excellent idea on what went into the making of VVS Laxman as an international cricketer. VVS narrates his story in a very interactive manner and there was never a moment where I felt bored while reading the book. It is extremely interesting to know his views on his teammates, all whom I deeply admired while growing up as a kid back then. If you are someone who grew up admiring the golden generation of Indian cricket in the 1990s and 2000s, then this book is a must read.
December 26, 2018
ALERT: LOOOONG REVIEW. TL,DR: UNBELIEVABLY GREAT READ FOR ME
This is hands down the best autobiography of a cricketer that I have read. And I am sure it's not merely a recency bias as well. Whenever anyone asked me about my books to island list, it would always contain 'Timeless Steel' - an anthology of writings on Rahul 'The Wall' Dravid - collected by ESPN Cricinfo and segmented into themes like 'The Cricketer', 'The Great Innings', 'The Man' etc. This led the book to have a narrative coherence despite the writings having been done across different periods. Married to Cricinfo's uncanny ability to romanticize this amazing game through their craft in penmanship the book turned out to be an outstanding treatise for me - a lover of the purest form of cricket (the Test match) and the dreamy emotions it evokes especially in the hands of the most skilled wordsmiths like Harsha Bhogle, Mark Nicholas, Suresh Menon, Jon Hotten and occasionally the man himself. The bar set by 'Timeless Steel' made me expect much much more from both Tendulkar's and Ganguly's memoirs. The former was so drab that despite being an ardent fan and an avid reader, I dropped it and couldn't get back to it. The latter was better but it was more emotion than lyricism in terms of writing. There was hardly any deep dwelling on significant goosebumps-inducing moments like Eden 2001 or Headingley 2002 or Adelaide 2003-04 and Ganguly felt rushed through events and their significance in his book.
With such a heavily conflicted mix of the expectation of lyrical writing that romanticizes cricket and the foreboding that writing as good as 'Timeless Steel' won't, can't, sadly ever be emulated did I pick Laxman's book through some quirky excerpt that flowed along my feed from somewhere in the waves of the ocean of the Internet that I surfed through a couple of weeks back. And the first chapter itself whirled me in and strummed the right strings in me so impeccably to make me realize that this was everything I yearned for from a cricketer's autobiography and more. The book opens with an account of that titular epic Kolkatta innings that defined his legacy once and for all. The sincerity and sheer simplicity of his manner was reflected in how he pours out about how his self-doubts were overwhelming him and he visited Shirdi Sai Baba's temple to bring his mind to a state of equilibrium. Anyone who reads those words can't help resonate with that feeling of helplessness that we all feel at some point in our lives. To read his anguish and know that his next innings would be an all time great one makes you so happy to look at the cover and see that openly glowing smile of pure deserving joy. You start to feel that it was apt that this man who suffered just as one of us would have in any endeavor in life, got to experience the elation of having overcome his obstacles.
There is that lingering and meditating on events that defined him, Indian cricket during his time, and his personal turmoils that was lacking in Ganguly's account. And I grew to respect Laxman so much because every word was sincere. He talks about his habits of putting in 100% efforts in whatever he does and you know it's true because he has shown it. And it was the same in his studies. He cleared EAMCET!! But he knew he couldn't give 100% to both medicine and cricket, so he had to choose and he chose cricket. He recognizes that despite his Dad being a doctor, he did not discuss about his choices which was the biggest encouragement they could give; that of not interfering. He remembers to acknowledge his uncle multiple times and remembers to show gratitude for several people you tend not to think about when you think of cricketers - like trainer Andrew Leipus, net bowlers, bat makers and the like; a throwback to the era where performances were steely but the performers were mellow.
And it's not just these middle class values that stand out. He is completely honest about all anecdotes; those of Tendulkar hating the confusion of runners and being frustrated by being dismissed because of the distraction, of his being dropped and picked without any consistency in logic, his tryst with batting out of position and failing more than succeeding, his white-ball failures, and the gross levels of communications between coach, captain and players before the John Wright-Ganguly era. All these struggles building up chronologically gave me goosebumps as it reached the crescendo of Wright telling Laxman that he was on par with Dravid-Tendulkar-Ganguly in that Indian middle order and that no matter what he would play the next ten Test matches. He is honest about his relationship with Wright deteriorating when he was confined to never being part of a World Cup squad and Wright admitting that he was part of it too.
His obvious respect for his peers, his observation of what to imbibe from each of them - Dravid's quest for perfection, Ganguly's never say die spirit, Kumble's lionheartedness, Dhoni's equanimity, Tendulkar's commitment to and passion for his art, Sehwag's happy go lucky style, Zaheer's laidback demeanor inside a tough core - penned with much thought and oozing with candour, made me love this book quite a few feet deeper. Dravid once said at a LitFest that I attended, in response to a query of when he would pen an autobiography that "if I write a book, it ought to be an honest book and that could invite unwanted attention and chaos for my family and myself. I am not ready to put them or myself through that. So no immediate plans to write one". And Laxman's memoir possesses that honesty. An honesty which couldn't be better evidenced than by the chapter 'Laughter and Loneliness' where he talks about feeling like he was staring at a 'deep dark long tunnel without even a flicker of light in sight' and not being sure if it was depression. And every major event since the mid-90s has been captured in exquisitely detailed words; words whose enchantment had drawn me in within the span of a mere three pages itself.
Special shoutout to R Kaushik, who from the acknowledgments, I gleaned, was responsible for the narrative structure that gave it that organic flow and cohesion I so admired in 'Timeless Steel'. I never expected any book to ever displace it in my books-to-island list and that's a feat as monumental as the masterpiece this humble giant etched on that era defining 2001 Kolkatta Test against the world's (and arguably cricket history's) best Test side. So clearly a stellar five star read for me.
P.S. I feel this book deserves more readership than it currently has(though it's been only a month since it has been released). So, contrary to my usual reluctance in sharing my writing across different online platforms, I want to put this out to as many different spaces as I can, so that anyone who might be as touched as I was, might stumble upon this gem and feel ecstatically content.
This is hands down the best autobiography of a cricketer that I have read. And I am sure it's not merely a recency bias as well. Whenever anyone asked me about my books to island list, it would always contain 'Timeless Steel' - an anthology of writings on Rahul 'The Wall' Dravid - collected by ESPN Cricinfo and segmented into themes like 'The Cricketer', 'The Great Innings', 'The Man' etc. This led the book to have a narrative coherence despite the writings having been done across different periods. Married to Cricinfo's uncanny ability to romanticize this amazing game through their craft in penmanship the book turned out to be an outstanding treatise for me - a lover of the purest form of cricket (the Test match) and the dreamy emotions it evokes especially in the hands of the most skilled wordsmiths like Harsha Bhogle, Mark Nicholas, Suresh Menon, Jon Hotten and occasionally the man himself. The bar set by 'Timeless Steel' made me expect much much more from both Tendulkar's and Ganguly's memoirs. The former was so drab that despite being an ardent fan and an avid reader, I dropped it and couldn't get back to it. The latter was better but it was more emotion than lyricism in terms of writing. There was hardly any deep dwelling on significant goosebumps-inducing moments like Eden 2001 or Headingley 2002 or Adelaide 2003-04 and Ganguly felt rushed through events and their significance in his book.
With such a heavily conflicted mix of the expectation of lyrical writing that romanticizes cricket and the foreboding that writing as good as 'Timeless Steel' won't, can't, sadly ever be emulated did I pick Laxman's book through some quirky excerpt that flowed along my feed from somewhere in the waves of the ocean of the Internet that I surfed through a couple of weeks back. And the first chapter itself whirled me in and strummed the right strings in me so impeccably to make me realize that this was everything I yearned for from a cricketer's autobiography and more. The book opens with an account of that titular epic Kolkatta innings that defined his legacy once and for all. The sincerity and sheer simplicity of his manner was reflected in how he pours out about how his self-doubts were overwhelming him and he visited Shirdi Sai Baba's temple to bring his mind to a state of equilibrium. Anyone who reads those words can't help resonate with that feeling of helplessness that we all feel at some point in our lives. To read his anguish and know that his next innings would be an all time great one makes you so happy to look at the cover and see that openly glowing smile of pure deserving joy. You start to feel that it was apt that this man who suffered just as one of us would have in any endeavor in life, got to experience the elation of having overcome his obstacles.
There is that lingering and meditating on events that defined him, Indian cricket during his time, and his personal turmoils that was lacking in Ganguly's account. And I grew to respect Laxman so much because every word was sincere. He talks about his habits of putting in 100% efforts in whatever he does and you know it's true because he has shown it. And it was the same in his studies. He cleared EAMCET!! But he knew he couldn't give 100% to both medicine and cricket, so he had to choose and he chose cricket. He recognizes that despite his Dad being a doctor, he did not discuss about his choices which was the biggest encouragement they could give; that of not interfering. He remembers to acknowledge his uncle multiple times and remembers to show gratitude for several people you tend not to think about when you think of cricketers - like trainer Andrew Leipus, net bowlers, bat makers and the like; a throwback to the era where performances were steely but the performers were mellow.
And it's not just these middle class values that stand out. He is completely honest about all anecdotes; those of Tendulkar hating the confusion of runners and being frustrated by being dismissed because of the distraction, of his being dropped and picked without any consistency in logic, his tryst with batting out of position and failing more than succeeding, his white-ball failures, and the gross levels of communications between coach, captain and players before the John Wright-Ganguly era. All these struggles building up chronologically gave me goosebumps as it reached the crescendo of Wright telling Laxman that he was on par with Dravid-Tendulkar-Ganguly in that Indian middle order and that no matter what he would play the next ten Test matches. He is honest about his relationship with Wright deteriorating when he was confined to never being part of a World Cup squad and Wright admitting that he was part of it too.
His obvious respect for his peers, his observation of what to imbibe from each of them - Dravid's quest for perfection, Ganguly's never say die spirit, Kumble's lionheartedness, Dhoni's equanimity, Tendulkar's commitment to and passion for his art, Sehwag's happy go lucky style, Zaheer's laidback demeanor inside a tough core - penned with much thought and oozing with candour, made me love this book quite a few feet deeper. Dravid once said at a LitFest that I attended, in response to a query of when he would pen an autobiography that "if I write a book, it ought to be an honest book and that could invite unwanted attention and chaos for my family and myself. I am not ready to put them or myself through that. So no immediate plans to write one". And Laxman's memoir possesses that honesty. An honesty which couldn't be better evidenced than by the chapter 'Laughter and Loneliness' where he talks about feeling like he was staring at a 'deep dark long tunnel without even a flicker of light in sight' and not being sure if it was depression. And every major event since the mid-90s has been captured in exquisitely detailed words; words whose enchantment had drawn me in within the span of a mere three pages itself.
Special shoutout to R Kaushik, who from the acknowledgments, I gleaned, was responsible for the narrative structure that gave it that organic flow and cohesion I so admired in 'Timeless Steel'. I never expected any book to ever displace it in my books-to-island list and that's a feat as monumental as the masterpiece this humble giant etched on that era defining 2001 Kolkatta Test against the world's (and arguably cricket history's) best Test side. So clearly a stellar five star read for me.
P.S. I feel this book deserves more readership than it currently has(though it's been only a month since it has been released). So, contrary to my usual reluctance in sharing my writing across different online platforms, I want to put this out to as many different spaces as I can, so that anyone who might be as touched as I was, might stumble upon this gem and feel ecstatically content.
December 14, 2018
One of the more refreshingly honest sporting autobiographies, and certainly amongst the better ones penned by an Indian. After all Sachin's autobiography, which was more of a brain dump and statistical download, hadn't set the bar very high in recent times!
VVS Laxman endured a rather chequered career, and this book brings that out in abundance - right from his school days in Hyderabad, through to his journey up the ranks in the local domestic circuit and league cricket in England, as also the imminent struggle to establish himself as a regular in the national squad. He paints a vivid picture of the key influences in his life, including his uncle, coaches, idols & parents. While they are all accorded due respect & acclaim, he is candid enough to admit that at times it is advisable to turn your back on orthodox advice and instead be true to yourself, abandoning all fear of failure! Also follows is the acknowledgment that his easy-going temperament had positioned him into a walkover or a scapegoat on multiple occasions. Although he took succour in philosophy and spirituality during times of distress, it was ultimately his own precocious talent and diligently-honed skill that turned things around.
More poignant is the anguish at receiving mixed messages from the powers-that-be, a fate that chased him for majority of his time at the top. And for someone who his known to only have positive words for colleagues & competitors alike, he is quite scathing in his criticism of Greg Chappell, perhaps justifiably so! Adequate print is also accorded to personal disappointments - a curtailed ODI career, missing out on a coveted WC berth and the inability to convert starts into big scores - all of which potentially cost him the ticket to cricketing immortality & super-stardom. And one can sympathize there.
If anything, Laxman appears to have over-emphasized his personal virtues which compelled him to put others before himself in the team environment. It does leave the reader wondering if this is more of a regret cloaked in humble-bragging.
Nevertheless, for someone who has followed the fortunes of the national team from the late 90s onwards, and revels in the purest form of the game, this is a worthy addition to the book-shelf. And rest assured, the first chapter which reconstructs the magic of the 281, is sure to give you goose-bumps!
VVS Laxman endured a rather chequered career, and this book brings that out in abundance - right from his school days in Hyderabad, through to his journey up the ranks in the local domestic circuit and league cricket in England, as also the imminent struggle to establish himself as a regular in the national squad. He paints a vivid picture of the key influences in his life, including his uncle, coaches, idols & parents. While they are all accorded due respect & acclaim, he is candid enough to admit that at times it is advisable to turn your back on orthodox advice and instead be true to yourself, abandoning all fear of failure! Also follows is the acknowledgment that his easy-going temperament had positioned him into a walkover or a scapegoat on multiple occasions. Although he took succour in philosophy and spirituality during times of distress, it was ultimately his own precocious talent and diligently-honed skill that turned things around.
More poignant is the anguish at receiving mixed messages from the powers-that-be, a fate that chased him for majority of his time at the top. And for someone who his known to only have positive words for colleagues & competitors alike, he is quite scathing in his criticism of Greg Chappell, perhaps justifiably so! Adequate print is also accorded to personal disappointments - a curtailed ODI career, missing out on a coveted WC berth and the inability to convert starts into big scores - all of which potentially cost him the ticket to cricketing immortality & super-stardom. And one can sympathize there.
If anything, Laxman appears to have over-emphasized his personal virtues which compelled him to put others before himself in the team environment. It does leave the reader wondering if this is more of a regret cloaked in humble-bragging.
Nevertheless, for someone who has followed the fortunes of the national team from the late 90s onwards, and revels in the purest form of the game, this is a worthy addition to the book-shelf. And rest assured, the first chapter which reconstructs the magic of the 281, is sure to give you goose-bumps!
December 25, 2018
A feast for cricket affcionados. Especially those who have seen the pain of the 90s and the joy of the fab4 era. Vvs comes across an honest and humble person, which reflects in his thoughts and batting as well. Not much on controversy in here, except the Greg Chappel bashing. Worth a read.
July 24, 2019
Great work.
I am a big fan of VVS Laxman. Getting to know about his life, his struggles and his comebacks was indeed inspiring.
I am a big fan of VVS Laxman. Getting to know about his life, his struggles and his comebacks was indeed inspiring.
August 24, 2020
Sports autobiographies generally tend to be just a recap of a player's career, Sachin's being a great example, which we already know of but are interested in reading their personal views, the tidbits, anecdotes etc. In contrast Laxman's autobiography while recounting the key moments in his career, especially tests given he was more prolific there, also goes at great length in his own inner feelings, his moments of frustration, self doubt, his disagreements, his moments of joy etc. He does not hold back recounting those memories, especially specific instances of disagreements with fellow players, coaches etc while at the same time maintaining the great respect he has for them. Another thing he keeps mentioning throughout is how spirituality helped him in those moments of inner turmoil. All in all an enjoyable read, as expressive as his batting.
January 7, 2019
What will VVS Laxman have to tell in his autobiography? He was majorly a tests-only player. He didn't play many IPL games. He didn't have glam brands representing him. He didn't captain the side. He barely had any controversies in his name. He is not a rag-to-riches cricketer. He didn't have to fight any extraordinary event to survive in his career. But trust me, I enjoyed the book, thanks to these factors pushing my expectations almost to the negative.
An honest narration of cricketing events starting from his school days to his retirement, Lax scores with the simple style. Credits must go to R. Kaushik too, for the language and style used, which personifies the Laxman we know. His struggles are elaborated from the middle class point of view and there is no exaggeration regarding any of the suffering he went through. Being left out from the 2003 World Cup side was his lowest point and he does not hide his disappointment over it.
He portrays various series, the team environments, the coaching culture, his teammates, all in a lucid fashion, making us relive his wonderful career. He doesn't make huge claims of himself like he does not hide himself behind the fact that he didn't make a good white ball player, forget T20s.
What’s impressive in the book is how Lax goes on to talk about the mental aspects of the game which if often perhaps a less-discussed topic. Unlike many others who keep on writing about performances and results, he discusses visualisation techniques, the impact on the psyche when being dropped, the insecurities of not having a permanent position, the impact the words of coaches and friends have on his performance, and so on. He also talks about things running through his mind when on the crease, accepts his mistakes without seeking to justify them, and talks about satisfaction in the process.
The bonus for a Dravid fan reading this book is that even Dravid’s wife would not have observed Jam like Lax has, and celebrates Dravid (no over-praise I promise, as he does not mince his words when he says Rahul erred in the Chappell period).
On a comparative scale, I will rate this ahead of Sachin's (which was more of a statistical compilation) and Ganguly's autobiographies.
An honest narration of cricketing events starting from his school days to his retirement, Lax scores with the simple style. Credits must go to R. Kaushik too, for the language and style used, which personifies the Laxman we know. His struggles are elaborated from the middle class point of view and there is no exaggeration regarding any of the suffering he went through. Being left out from the 2003 World Cup side was his lowest point and he does not hide his disappointment over it.
He portrays various series, the team environments, the coaching culture, his teammates, all in a lucid fashion, making us relive his wonderful career. He doesn't make huge claims of himself like he does not hide himself behind the fact that he didn't make a good white ball player, forget T20s.
What’s impressive in the book is how Lax goes on to talk about the mental aspects of the game which if often perhaps a less-discussed topic. Unlike many others who keep on writing about performances and results, he discusses visualisation techniques, the impact on the psyche when being dropped, the insecurities of not having a permanent position, the impact the words of coaches and friends have on his performance, and so on. He also talks about things running through his mind when on the crease, accepts his mistakes without seeking to justify them, and talks about satisfaction in the process.
The bonus for a Dravid fan reading this book is that even Dravid’s wife would not have observed Jam like Lax has, and celebrates Dravid (no over-praise I promise, as he does not mince his words when he says Rahul erred in the Chappell period).
On a comparative scale, I will rate this ahead of Sachin's (which was more of a statistical compilation) and Ganguly's autobiographies.
July 5, 2019
In 2002 Indian cricket was dealing with the quagmire of match fixing saga and viewers were moving away and after that came the era of Ganguly , Dravid , Laxman , Sehwag.
As a ardent follower of the game , I have been fascinated by that era , If u want a glimpse what was going in Laxman's mind before the Iconic knock of 281, What went in the dressing room during John wright's rebuilding phase, What motivated the players , How did the scale the unbelivable target to become the topmost Test team .
Laxman tells about his struggles to break in the team , the fears , Challenges . He Doesn't mince his words to describe the agony of Greg chappel era , There is a chapter on his thoughts about his team-mates and many anecdotes , This book is a must read for all those people who want to relive that era.
When ppl write Biographies at times they just share the rosy picture and show us the gliiter , not with this book , He share his challenges , struggles , disappointments , Tells about the frustration of not being selected in 2003 worldcup , how he was planning to retire and what made him come back and be this succesfull
As a ardent follower of the game , I have been fascinated by that era , If u want a glimpse what was going in Laxman's mind before the Iconic knock of 281, What went in the dressing room during John wright's rebuilding phase, What motivated the players , How did the scale the unbelivable target to become the topmost Test team .
Laxman tells about his struggles to break in the team , the fears , Challenges . He Doesn't mince his words to describe the agony of Greg chappel era , There is a chapter on his thoughts about his team-mates and many anecdotes , This book is a must read for all those people who want to relive that era.
When ppl write Biographies at times they just share the rosy picture and show us the gliiter , not with this book , He share his challenges , struggles , disappointments , Tells about the frustration of not being selected in 2003 worldcup , how he was planning to retire and what made him come back and be this succesfull
November 24, 2018
Nice read
As a fellow Hyderabadi (I've been to the same school as laxman), And as an avid follower of Indian cricket from mid 90s I was looking forward to read his story. Thought he deserved a place in 2003 world cup but I also thought sachin, rahul and laxman could have taken turns to give chances to younger batsmen at least from the disastrous Australian tour of 2011...Nevertheless he played unbelievably amazing innings particularly against Australia and its fascinating to know they never sledged him while they didn't spare sachin when it comes to sledging. That shows the respect he has earned. Also liked how he shared his experiences, good and bad with coaches, his fun stories with teammates, good read. I still wonder if he can score 281 when no one believed we could win that test match, could he have done something very very special in the world cup 2003 if he was sent at number 3...
As a fellow Hyderabadi (I've been to the same school as laxman), And as an avid follower of Indian cricket from mid 90s I was looking forward to read his story. Thought he deserved a place in 2003 world cup but I also thought sachin, rahul and laxman could have taken turns to give chances to younger batsmen at least from the disastrous Australian tour of 2011...Nevertheless he played unbelievably amazing innings particularly against Australia and its fascinating to know they never sledged him while they didn't spare sachin when it comes to sledging. That shows the respect he has earned. Also liked how he shared his experiences, good and bad with coaches, his fun stories with teammates, good read. I still wonder if he can score 281 when no one believed we could win that test match, could he have done something very very special in the world cup 2003 if he was sent at number 3...
March 18, 2019
281 and Beyond: An interesting read about our own Very Very Special player “A classy stroke player with magical wrists”. Although he was not able to score a triple century but the heroic 281 which he scored against Australia will always remain one of the greatest innings ever played by an Indian batsman. One of the most underrated cricketers of our era; he was always there to bail out the team from trouble
This book gives you ample insights into the life of VVS and his cricketing career which makes for an interesting read. The book also gives you a brief snapshot of his relationships with other fellow cricketers & coaches which serves as an icing on the cake. A must read for everyone who fell in love with this superb cricketer after that magical innings @ Kolkata.
This book gives you ample insights into the life of VVS and his cricketing career which makes for an interesting read. The book also gives you a brief snapshot of his relationships with other fellow cricketers & coaches which serves as an icing on the cake. A must read for everyone who fell in love with this superb cricketer after that magical innings @ Kolkata.
June 2, 2019
This book is pretty much like VVS’s batting. Stylish, and no nonsense whatsoever. As a purist, I’ve always admired VVS’ contributions to Indian cricket. As the cliche says — stats conceal more than what they reveal. And VVS has bared it all in his book. A must read for every cricket lover.
June 3, 2021
A great insight into the playing career as well as the thinking of one of India's great test players. He talks about his initial days of cricket in Hyderabad. He has high regard for the impact that first-class cricket has had on him.
He starts off with his 281 vs Australia and gives interesting insights about the innings. He similarly shares insights about more memorable innings that he played for India.
Even though he didn't score more big hundreds later in his career but he did play crucial innings which are less talked about.
He has high regard for his colleagues and coaches who had an important influence on him.
We just notice the hundreds when they are scored but the preparation that goes into it is always missed. Laxman talked about his stints in county cricket which helped him grow as a player.
There is a good flow in the book where we covers so many aspects of his career but it still doesn't feel stretched. In fact, you feel like learning more about his career. I really like the way he not just focuses on his international career but also talks about his first-class career.
January 31, 2022
This is autobiography of VVS Laxman who will forever be remembered in minds of cricket fans for his 281 against Australia at Eden Gardens. He tells his story starting from his childhood ; details out his taking multiple bus/train to reach his coaching centers and how he single mindedly pursued a spot in indian national team.
This book also made me realize the importance of keeping the channel of communication open with your team regardless of how you feel about them. This seemed to be glaringly missing in Indian national team during 2000s and i hope it is fixed by now.
This book also made me realize the importance of keeping the channel of communication open with your team regardless of how you feel about them. This seemed to be glaringly missing in Indian national team during 2000s and i hope it is fixed by now.
July 26, 2020
VVS "Very very special" Laxman, through this book as an author he succeeds in explaining his love for cricket. The various emotions that an international cricketer undergoes in their career. The amount of hard work and sacrifices that a cricketer has to go through. Very well written and a compelling read.
February 6, 2021
Pleasantly surprised by the honesty and transparency of the great batsman. Has called a spade a spade. Objective assessment of his peers. Very well written. Thoroughly enjoyed the transformation journey of the Indian Cricket team that started with John Wright as the coach. Must read for any Indian cricket fan.
April 5, 2019
Better than playing it my way simply because there are stories which are never heard by an average Indian fan. Laxman is highly underrated cricketer and this book explains why he should be considered more.
January 8, 2019
Full review on my blog: https://www.nayanbasu.com/2019/01/boo...
April 16, 2023
One of the most honest autobiographical account by an Indian sportspersons that I have read. VVS shows his vulnerabilities, his struggles, his triumphs, his love for the game and his respect for his colleagues in a very honest light. He shows his spiritual side (quotes from the Gita) and the importance of his family. I have read some biographical accounts about Sourav and Sachin but those dealt more in numbers and nothing that we didn’t know. This book opened up my eyes to what a great cricketer and human being VVS is and what makes him VVS. He devotes one chapter just to catching!
A must read for Indian cricket fans.
A must read for Indian cricket fans.
March 2, 2019
“281 and Beyond” is one of the honest autobiographies that I have come across. And “Oh Boy!, could there be a more interesting title?”. The title has hit the hearts of every Indian cricket fan. Many at times autobiographies are more on reverential and prosaic, but less on honesty. For a change this one has the honest take on the incidents which happened in Laxman’s life.
Laxman was candid in saying that the relationship with John Wright has not been the same after he was ignored in 2003 World Cup squad. But still he admired him as a coach and his effort in making Indian Cricket Team dream of what they couldn’t ever think of. It is the same with Rahul Dravid when he did not back Laxman when needed. Yet their friendship did not come in between this.
He did not shy away in saying that the dressing room atmosphere was not an encouraging one before Wright’s era in Indian cricket. The most hated person in this book is Greg Chappell. His admiration for Chappell has plummeted on the way he handled the Indian Team.
He mentions that Zaheer Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were his good and close friends. This admiration towards Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble as leaders was evident.
The book potrays the struggles of a cricketer to get to represent the country in the international arena and how he had to wrestle for his place in the team throughout his playing career. But I sometimes felt the struggles were everlasting making is boring at times. It did not end at any point in time or probably that’s how a sportspersons career is to be.
All in all it’s a good autobiography to read.
Laxman was candid in saying that the relationship with John Wright has not been the same after he was ignored in 2003 World Cup squad. But still he admired him as a coach and his effort in making Indian Cricket Team dream of what they couldn’t ever think of. It is the same with Rahul Dravid when he did not back Laxman when needed. Yet their friendship did not come in between this.
He did not shy away in saying that the dressing room atmosphere was not an encouraging one before Wright’s era in Indian cricket. The most hated person in this book is Greg Chappell. His admiration for Chappell has plummeted on the way he handled the Indian Team.
He mentions that Zaheer Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were his good and close friends. This admiration towards Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble as leaders was evident.
The book potrays the struggles of a cricketer to get to represent the country in the international arena and how he had to wrestle for his place in the team throughout his playing career. But I sometimes felt the struggles were everlasting making is boring at times. It did not end at any point in time or probably that’s how a sportspersons career is to be.
All in all it’s a good autobiography to read.
January 5, 2019
Great book. I love to read stories about cricket and dressing rooms, moreover how legends approach certain life situations and I learnt a lot from simple, committed and one of great Indian legend.
January 5, 2019
Great reading.
Great reading. Got a lot of insight as to what goes througg the mind of a cricketer like VVS Laxman abd what makes him a great cricketer.
Great reading. Got a lot of insight as to what goes througg the mind of a cricketer like VVS Laxman abd what makes him a great cricketer.
March 27, 2020
Only for die hard cricket fans. Honest book and story but mostly is a summary of Laxman's career. Also lacks 'masala' and that's probably because Laxman is such an honest guy with a clean image.
December 26, 2018
Exceptional Book.
May 13, 2019
Its a very very special autobiography of a exceptionally talented cricketer.
This is fabulous book about the highs and lows of Indian cricket. How the cricketers enjoy fame and glory when team wins , but also criticised and scathed when team loses important matces. Its really nice book of humanitarian, legend of indian cricket VVS Laxman , his heroics at abroad esp against australia.
This is fabulous book about the highs and lows of Indian cricket. How the cricketers enjoy fame and glory when team wins , but also criticised and scathed when team loses important matces. Its really nice book of humanitarian, legend of indian cricket VVS Laxman , his heroics at abroad esp against australia.
December 3, 2018
I have been waiting for VVS to write his biography since it has been a season for all senior cricketers to express their version of the cricket world. It is a comprehensive description of his rise in the cricketing arena and his mindset thorough all his international encounters.
I was interested in him and his rise to professional cricket, as cricket was evolving from a elite sport only adorned by rich to middle class Indians seeing this as a professional career. His book is a mirror image of how middle class Indian family mindsets has broken the shackles of traditional professions to sporting professions.
His travails in career also reflect the problems of the Indian cricket team. We had great individual talents but no professionalism. With the influx of foreign coaches, it feels like we got professionalism and also some world credentials in India's name but also one wrong step in Greg Chappel has resulted in years of turmoil.
It is also surprising how the Indian cricket system has been slow to understand the needs of professional cricketer's psychological and physical needs. The cricketers and their families showed great resilience and emotional balance to cope with the demands of professional cricket, with most of them looking inwards or towards religion to get emotional strength.
Although he was an immensely talented batsman the only criticism of VVS I have is he did not add an extra dimension like Sourav or Dhoni or Kumble 's leadership, Viru's brashness or Azhar dynamism. He also in this book has not given any solutions to the ailments of cricket system. Nor any suggestions or directions to young and talented middle class youth who look up to him. I hope he is doing this in the real world through his academies and charities.
It will immensely help many if he sheds his introvert personality and be forthcoming about his struggles and solutions or an alternate approach in hindsight. Partially disappointed as the book did not give any new groundbreaking insight into cricket or professional player's stand on any issue.
I wish VVS good luck and many more contributions to Indian Cricket. He will always remain as a role model for many of us in Hyderabad.
I was interested in him and his rise to professional cricket, as cricket was evolving from a elite sport only adorned by rich to middle class Indians seeing this as a professional career. His book is a mirror image of how middle class Indian family mindsets has broken the shackles of traditional professions to sporting professions.
His travails in career also reflect the problems of the Indian cricket team. We had great individual talents but no professionalism. With the influx of foreign coaches, it feels like we got professionalism and also some world credentials in India's name but also one wrong step in Greg Chappel has resulted in years of turmoil.
It is also surprising how the Indian cricket system has been slow to understand the needs of professional cricketer's psychological and physical needs. The cricketers and their families showed great resilience and emotional balance to cope with the demands of professional cricket, with most of them looking inwards or towards religion to get emotional strength.
Although he was an immensely talented batsman the only criticism of VVS I have is he did not add an extra dimension like Sourav or Dhoni or Kumble 's leadership, Viru's brashness or Azhar dynamism. He also in this book has not given any solutions to the ailments of cricket system. Nor any suggestions or directions to young and talented middle class youth who look up to him. I hope he is doing this in the real world through his academies and charities.
It will immensely help many if he sheds his introvert personality and be forthcoming about his struggles and solutions or an alternate approach in hindsight. Partially disappointed as the book did not give any new groundbreaking insight into cricket or professional player's stand on any issue.
I wish VVS good luck and many more contributions to Indian Cricket. He will always remain as a role model for many of us in Hyderabad.
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