Aakash Chopra recalls the time VVS Laxman was in the shower when it was his turn to bat
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra recollected an incident when VVS Laxman was busy taking a shower when the latter was supposed to go out to bat. The reputed commentator narrated the turmoil in the Indian dressing room in that situation.
Aakash Chopra shared this hilarious anecdote involving VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly in a video on his Facebook page.
He revealed that Laxman generally had a habit of taking a shower before going out to bat.
"It is said that work is worship and for cricketers work is playing, so that becomes our worship. If not for anyone else, for VVS Laxman cricket was no less than a worship. And before any prayer, taking a bath is essential."
Aakash Chopra recalled that VVS Laxman had gone for a shower and India had already lost their first two wickets in the form of Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer.
"So VVS picked up his towel and went into the dressing room shower. We were playing South Africa in the picturesque ground of Cape Town. The situation in the Indian dressing room had turned bad with Virender Sehwag and Wasim Jaffer already back in the pavilion."
Aakash Chopra mentioned that Sachin Tendulkar, who was supposed to bat at No. 4, was not allowed to bat at the fall of the second wicket. The latter had been off the field for some duration during the South African innings and the Indian team had not batted long enough for him to return.
"Sachin Tendulkar, who was ready for his batting, picked up his bat and went into the field. But the fourth umpire told Sachin that he could not bat at the time because Sachin had been out of the ground on the third day for some time based on which he could have batted only after another 5 mins."
Aakash Chopra on the scenes in the Indian dressing room
Aakash Chopra narrated the hilarious situation of all the team members getting Sourav Ganguly ready to go out to bat, with VVS Laxman still in the bath.
"Now with VVS taking bath, Dada was the only person left to go the middle. Sourav Ganguly, who was not ready at all for his batting. So someone was giving Dada his shirt, someone his trouser and another person getting his bat. And two players were making him wear his pads."
The 42-year-old shared that while Sourav Ganguly was somehow dressed up and made to enter the field, Laxman had come out from his shower with a smile on his face, oblivious of what had unfolded.
"In between all this hurry, finally Dada was made to enter the field. And Laxman was coming out smiling from the shower. VVS bhai, your batting came and went as well without you going onto the pitch. Something like that might have happened for the first time in cricketing history."
Aakash Chopra opined that VVS Laxman would have definitely got a dressing down from Ganguly that day while observing that it was difficult for anyone to scold the wristy Hyderabadi.
"VVS Laxman might have definitely got a scolding later because Sourav does not like such things at all. But then no one can scold VVS, that is also an interesting thing."
India went on to lose the 2007 Cape Town Test against South Africa by 5 wickets. While Sourav Ganguly scored 46 runs in that particular innings, VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar could contribute only 1 and 14 runs respectively.