Team SOS for Laxman

Rattled by the failure of its middle-order, the Indian team management has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India to fly star batsman V V S Laxman to South Africa for the remaining matches of the ongoing triseries.

"We have requested the cricket board to send Laxman as quickly as possible," team manager M K Bhargava said on Friday.

"He, most probably, will join the team before the match against Kenya at Paarl on October 24," said Bhargava, an indication that the request was cleared by the board.

Laxman was not included in the team earlier because he had not recovered fully from the knee surgery he underwent in Australia. But his stupendous, unbeaten 148 for Rest of India against Baroda in the Irani Trophy provided the right signals that everything is now well with the ace middle order batsman.

The Hyderabad stalwart hogged the headlines with his exceptional 281 against Austrtlia, in the Calcutta Test earlier this year, which is the highest total by an Indian batsman and scripted the most remarkable turnaround in the history of the game, plotting a 2-1 win over the Aussies.

India's tour of South Africa : Complete coverage

Mail Cricket Editor