For a moment imagine what would have happened if Lakshman had never been there in the Ramayana. Would there have been a Ramayana at all? You are welcome. But the history of the Indian cricket team is very different from the one written by the great sage Valmiki in the Treta Yuga. The writers of this story never felt the need for a Lakshman, but were forced to introduce him in a few chapters due to the sheer brilliance of him. To these writers, it makes no difference to the Indian cricket team whether VVS Lakshman wields the willow or not.

Though most of the characters in modern Indian cricket team history are vanaras, the only difference between these vanaras and epic ones is that the former are braggarts while the latter won all the battles they fought. As for the leaders, the new age vanaras are led by a few heroes who enjoy grinning from ear to ear on TVs and billboards as the latter focus on leading their army to victory. The new age vanaras and their leaders are more merchants than warriors. How could you expect a warrior of Lakshman’s stature to fit in with them? How many times has he seen him ask you to buy this particular life insurance or that particular bike? This is not Lakshman’s job; his duty is to fight and be a man, he did it with style.

Throughout his career, 37-year-old VVS Lakshman has not let down the real bosses in the game. He has been one of the best cricketers India has ever had and perhaps the only one who received less praise than others. For the Australians, India’s arch-enemy in cricket, taking the wicket from him was nothing short of a miracle. Such was Lakshman’s importance to them that Australians often ranked him above Sachin Tendulkar. It makes me wonder what would have happened if Lakshman had been an Australian player. The removal of him would have been ceremonial, to say the least.

Aside from his cricketing skills (which are now talked about highly in almost every article), VVS Lakshman was a very, very special man. His specialty was in his character. A highly educated man, VVS Lakshman was like a true gentleman among a group of hotheaded retards. Unlike most Indian cricketers, he never spoke ill of anyone and his opponents respected him so much that they themselves never used their usual profanity in his presence. Lakshman has been such an impressionable person in the game that he, perhaps, he could have at least taught the vanaras how to behave both on and off the pitch.

The writers of the new story look for faces worthy of approval, talented or not. They don’t want long five-day battles where the returns are low.

But this is not the Treta Yuga and herein lies the problem. When Lakshman started his career in 1996, it was a completely different period. The game of cricket had a lot of artistry and kept its distinctive class. Lakshman had his share of glory from him, but they were few and far between. Furthermore, he was a contemporary of a handful of other greats who also contributed enormously to the cause of the game. If Lakshman’s indispensable contribution was overlooked, it was because his image was more like that of that holy warrior who never took credit for victory.

The writers of the new story look for faces worthy of approval, talented or not. They don’t want long five-day battles where the returns are low. The shorter ones can be made to look more interesting and are also open to some…umm…controversies. There was no place for a character like Lakshman’s.

India has galloped to become a country where many people have suddenly become rich without having the sense to manage it. The same affected the world of cricket. The game of cricket, at least in the Indian way, was no longer the kind that Lakshman played. He turned without art or cunning; more dramatic than sport. Lakshman was a sportsman, not a playwright.

The Lakshman of the Ramayana accompanied his brother Ram, who was sent into a 14-year exile along with his father. That has been hailed as a brother’s greatest duty. For cricketer Lakshman, there was no ram to see him through at the end of a great international career. The truth is that he himself was the ram of Indian cricket: ideal, artistic and humble.