Vengsarkar fails to cross Laxman rekha again

By John Cheeran
Why is VVS Laxman still in the one-day wilderness?
It is highly puzzling that journeymen such as Dinesh Mongia and Dinesh Karthick make into the Indian one-day squad and at the same time, a player of Laxman’s class is ignored.
In 2003, selectors defied all logic to include Mongia in the World Cup squad at the cost of Laxman.
And it appears that in 2007 too Mongia will push out Laxman from the World Cup squad.
Selection committee chairman Dileep Vengsarkar said on Monday that it is Laxman’s lack of fitness that denied him a place in the side.
Really?
VVS Laxman says he is fit and eager to play. So I don’t understand what’s the problem there. Why don’t selectors get an authentication on Laxman’s fitness from the Indian team physio himself?
Laxman’s strike rate is as good as any other Indian middle order batsman. Laxman is essentially a stroke maker and on song a pleasure to watch. I don’t have the statistics with me, but I’m sure VVS’s one-day strike rate should be on par with skipper Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. VVS has even opened innings for India and that should give more flexibility to skipper Dravid in case he fancies juggling the batting order.
Quite often Laxman’s fielding has been held against him. But then how many ace fielders Team India boast of?
Good sense at least has prevailed in the selection of Anil Kumble for the South African one-dayers. It is Kumble’s sheer class and experience that have won him a place in the Indian side. Of course, Dravid would have fought for the Karnataka leg-spinner.
At a time when Indian middle order is struggling to live up to its popular image, the very factors that were applied in Kumble’s case should have sealed Laxman’s place in the side too.