February 1993: Makes first-class debut in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal for Hyderabad against Punjab. Hyderabad lose by nine wickets.
December 1994: Hits first first-class century, 103 against Kerala, and follows it up with another century against Goa in the next match.
Season 1995-96: Breakthrough domestic season in which he scores five centuries and tops 1000 runs, to knock on the doors of national selection. This includes a century in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Vidarbha and a double-century in the semifinal against Karnataka two weeks later.
November 1996: Makes Test debut against South Africa in Ahmedabad. Is the highest scorer (and only man to cross 50) in the second innings with 51, giving India a target to defend. The trend of Laxman's second innings heroics is thus born in his very first match.
March-April 1997: With Dravid, Tendulkar, Azharuddin and Ganguly in the middle-order, the only spot left for Laxman is as an opener. He starts with a half-century on India's tour of West Indies, and has fair returns, averaging 28.66. However, he is dropped after the tour and spends close to a year out of the Indian team.
Season 1997-98: Continues to open in domestic cricket for a brief while, but finds immediate success after shifting to the one-drop position. Hits a century for Board President's XI against Sri Lanka in November 1997 and a half-century for the Board XI against Australia in March 1998. Including those two matches, aggregates 766 runs, including a mammoth 301 not out against Bihar in the Ranji Trophy, forcing his way back into the national team.
Comeback 1998: Marks his Test comeback with 95, as opener, against Australia in what will go on to become his favourite ground – the Eden Gardens.
Sydney 2000: Is on the verge of being dropped again, after aggregating 54 runs in 5 innings on India's tour of Australia, but gives his career a fresh lease of life with a brilliant 167 off 198 balls, his first Test century, in Sydney.
2000: States that he doesn't want to be considered for the opening slot in the national team, even if it means having to wait to get a middle-order place.
Season 2000-2001: Laxman scorches the domestic scene, piling runs on in a manner few have before or since. In a run of ten matches encompassing the Ranji, Duleep and Irani Trophy, he hits 10 centuries, including a magnificent 353 against a Karnataka attack that includes Venkatesh Prasad, Sunil Joshi and Dodda Ganesh. He rounds off the domestic season with 94 for India A against the visiting Australians – a sign of things to come. With Azharuddin's exit, there's a place in the middle-order for Laxman and he forces his way back with the weight of his runs.
March 2001, Eden Gardens: Plays THE innings. The most defining knock in Indian cricket history, and among the greatest innings of all time. With India following-on after a dismal first innings in which only Laxman shines with 59, is promoted to one-drop and comes up 281 – then the highest score by an Indian in Test cricket. That innings helpsIndia beat Australia after following-on and starts Laxman and the Indian team off on a decade of cricketing excellence.
2001-2002: Is in good form in Test matches, but faces a century drought with just one ton in 18 months post the 281. The drought is broken at the Eden Gardens against West Indies in October 2002.
World Cup 2003: In the bitterest blow in his career, Laxman is left out of India's squad for the 2003 World Cup, with preference given to Dinesh Mongia. Laxman's One-Day International average and strike-rate are far better than Mongia's in the months preceding the World Cup, but he fails to make the cut. Laxman would never be part of a World Cup squad.
VVS Laxman saved his very best for Australia . © Getty Images
Australia 2003-04: Laxman continues to plunder runs off the Australians. At Adelaide, he switches roles with Dravid to play the support act with 148 in a famous Indian victory, then hits 178 at Sydney in partnership with Sachin Tendulkar to help India pile up 705 for 7.
2004: Proves a point with sparkling ODI form in the tri-series that follows the India-Australia Tests, hitting three centuries in four innings during one sequence. 2004 would go on to be Laxman's best in ODIs by a distance, with an average of 41.85, a strike-rate of 79.79 and four centuries.
2006-2007: Is part of the team while beating West Indies and England away, and winning a maiden Test on South African soil. Makes vital contributions throughout, though the big centuries aren't as regular. The century drought is broken once again atEden Gardens, with an unbeaten ton against Pakistan in November 2007.
2007-2008: Is in customary good form when India land in Australia, hitting yet another ton at Sydney – his third in three visits – in the controversial 'Monkey-gate' Test. That is followed by a crucial 79 in Perth in the second innings, to give India enough runs to defend for an unforgettable win. Negotiates the Mendis-Muralitharan double-threat onIndia's tour of Sri Lanka later, to emerge as the best middle-order batsman for India in the series. Scores his second Test double-century against Australia in Delhi towards the end of the year.
2009: Hits 124 not out while India are following on in New Zealand while Gambhir bats more than ten hours for 137 to help save the second Test and preserve India's lead.India go on to complete another away series win.
2010: Renews his enduring Eden Gardens love affair at the start of the year with a sublime hundred against South Africa in a match India had to win to preserve their No. 1 ranking. Laxman makes a habit of saving India's ranking in the year. Against Sri Lankain the third Test at Colombo, he hits 103 not out to guide a stiff fourth-innings chase and help India draw the series, then tops that effort in the very next match – against old foes Australia. Battling a bad back, he hits 73 not out in the fourth innings to take Indiato an adrenaline-filled one-wicket win at Mohali. Ends the year with a fantastic 96 inDurban against South Africa, with India winning the match and drawing the series.
2011-12: Starts the season well with solid contributions in India's away series win against West Indies, but endures his first genuinely poor series in India's 0-4 whitewash against England away – a series in which the No. 1 ranking is lost. Bounces back in style against West Indies at home with a Bradmanesque 99.33 average, only to endure his worst-ever series in Australia. Laxman crosses fifty only once in four Tests and doesn't hit a century in Australia for the first time with India white-washed 0-4 once again.
2012: Says he will 'miss' Rahul Dravid in the slips next to him after Dravid announces his retirement in March, indicating that he intends to carry on. Trains hard at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore in preparation for the long home season, and is named in the Test squad to face New Zealand. However, is hurt by persistent suggestions on whether he is holding up a youngster's spot in the Test side and decides to retire, bringing the curtains down on an illustrious career.
