'They're Very, Very Defensive'

VVS Laxman's amiability was much in evidence during the course of his second double century against Australia -- each landmark, each round figure was celebrated with a tooth-full grin and hoist of the bat. On getting to 100, though, he added a mysterious gesture, the roll of his left arm, a sign to the team's sole left-arm bowling regular, Zaheer Khan. Laxman's amiability had doubled by the time he came over to discuss his innings with the media, but he refused to reveal what the message to Zaheer was. He did talk of the Australian team's tactics and mindset – "negative" – which, coming from an unlikely exponent of gamesmanship such as him, had a ring of truth.Excerpts:

There were doubts over your place in the team before the series, that you were facing the axe. Tremendous innings, in that context.

The doubting Thomases have either been in the media, or people outside the team. There's no talk like that in the team. The management, the selectors always gave me confidence. The stories that built up before the series were very negative, but we took it in a positive way. I think the team got together, we had a very good camp in Bangalore. I think because of the negativity in the media, the team got together and that's showing in our performance.

You think now, after good performances by you, Tendulkar and Ganguly in the series, people should stop advising retirement to seniors?

Yes, and again, that's something you people must decide -- it's you who come up with such advice. The players don't really think of this, they know their responsibility to the country, and that when they stop contributing to the team, they will have to take decisions. Everyone is mature enough to take these decisions.
It definitely hurts. We're not asking anyone to over-respect us, but we don't want people to degrade our contribution to Indian cricket.

A very special innings, this?

I'm very satisfied because after a long time I got a score over 150; I was getting hundreds but was unable to get big hundreds. That was very important for me, and it's a good sign. Hopefully, this will start a process and I'll get more big hundreds. This innings was very, very crucial from that point of view for me.It was unfortunate that I was unable to contribute in the first and second Tests. I was especially disappointed with the way I was out in the second Test, on a good, flat wicket I missed out. And it was very important to put up a good score in the first innings, to put pressure on the Australians.

You rolled your left arm after reaching the century. What did it mean?

That was a sign to Zaheer Khan, and I'd like to keep that a secret.

And you got your runs at a good rate too…

I was just looking to play according to the merit of the ball, I was playing my natural game. I was not taking too many risks, I was playing percentage shots, even though runs were coming freely to me. I was not being over-ambitious. It's good that I maintained a healthy strike rate, which helped us score at a good rate. We got 600 in five sessions, a very good run rate to maintain.

The pitch will help the bowlers from here on?

Yes, we've already seen that with the spinners. When Amit and Anil were bowling, there definitely was assistance to them and we've got an experienced fast bowler in Zaheer, and Ishant Sharma was doing well. It will be a huge task for the Australians, it will be quite a pressure situation for them. How they come out tomorrow, we'll have to just wait and see.

Do you think the Australian bowlers were defensive, trying to contain more than attack?

All of them are playing for the first time on Indian wickets, they're a little inexperienced in that… Having said that, their total approach is very, very defensive. Right from the start of the series, you see their captain saying that his team is the underdog for the series. That puts them in a defensive mode, whereas our captain Anil, despite the criticism he's facing, is very, very positive in the way he's talking about his team. And Ricky is talking about the Indian team rather than his own team. They're very defensive in the way they're approaching their cricket.

You were sacked as the captain of the IPL Deccan Chargers team before the series…

As I said at that time, I wanted to totally focus on this series; it's a very important series for Indian cricket and all of us, and I'm happy that I'm able to contribute in it. I'm really not thinking about the IPL or what the Deccan Chargers have done.

You said the Australian bowlers were defensive… What's the reason? Do they lack the resources?

They've got the resources. Except for (absent) Adam Gilchrist, the team doesn't look different from the one we played in Australia when they beat us 2-1. I think it's just their mental approach. I'm not sure why they've been defensive in the way they've approached the series.

You've got some really huge partnerships in Test cricket! How does that happen?

You just keep going! I was telling Gautam that I have been involved in three 300-run partnerships, so let's achieve the fourth! And all four against Australia would have been great, but unfortunately he got out. But the way he batted was brilliant.

Where do you think is this match headed?

I think the first session tomorrow would be very important; it's a huge task the Australians have at hand, and one or two early wickets would put a lot of pressure on them. Getting 600 and defending for the next three days would be a Herculean task for them. The upper hand is with us. With the kind of experienced bowlers we have, and with the kind of form they're in, I think the Australians would be under tremendous pressure.