Very, Very, special Laxman

India's batting stylist Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman (V.V.S.) Laxman admits he is in a rich vein of form but after three charming half-centuries in the 2002 Cable & Wireless Test series against the West Indies, he is still without a century in the Caribbean.

The tall, elegant Laxman, who made international headlines last year when he made a superlative 281 against Australia to steer India to a miraculous come-from-behind victory in the second Test at Calcutta, has merely teased his fans with two knocks of 69 and 74.

This he says is simply not good enough and he has chided himself for getting out at a crucial stage on the penultimate day of the second Test at Queen's Park Oval which signalled the start of a dramatic collapse by India with the next five wickets tumbling for a mere 13 runs.

Right from the start of the tour, I've been timing the ball well from the first tour game [against Guyana's President XI] I played when I got 43 runs, said the 27-year-old who hails from Hyderabad.

The form is okay but I want to translate it into big scores. I thought in the first Test, as well as today, I had an opportunity to get a big score. Hopefully I'll do that in the remaining three Test matches.

About his second innings dismissal, Laxman said: I was a bit unlucky because it took the inside edge and came back on the stumps.

But it would have been great if I had got a big score because Sourav (Ganguly) was batting so well and we would have got a lead, maybe around 400 runs. A little disappointed, definitely, added Laxman.

About the outcome of the second Test, Laxman said the first session on the last day was going to be very important.

I think the bowlers are doing a great job and the wicket is not so easy to play strokes so if you keep the ball in the right place, I think it is difficult to get runs, noted Laxman.