Mohali: Although Zaheer Khan was declared ‘Man of the Match’ for his match haul of eight for 137; the general feeling was that VVS Laxman, who steered India to a spectacular one-wicket victory through a fighting unbeaten 73 runs, should have been given the honour.
“I am more than willing to give the ‘Man of the Match’ award to him (Laxman). It’s great to gift it to someone who can win the match for us. For me, the ‘Man of the Match’ award is not what is important, but winning the match,” remarked Khan.
“Laxman is a very special person. He has done it for India many times in the past, especially lifting us from dangerous situations,” he added.
“It was a tough game and the bowlers on both teams bowled fantastically. We managed to get wickets at the right time. It was a supreme game of cricket during the last five days. We are lucky to win and we need to carry this momentum into the Bangalore Test match,” said Khan, who also bagged his 250th Test wicket during the match.
The player was delighted to have reached that milestone in his career. “I have been working hard on my reverse swing and I am happy it is working for me now,” he said, adding that he’s not surprised by India's late comeback. “For the last couple of years our bowlers and batters are doing a good job, but yet we were tense.”
When asked about the atmosphere in the dressing room during the game, Khan revealed: “Everyone was nervous, although our faces looked calm. It was tough to maintain our composure, but we still sat there very quietly waiting for it to happen.”
The relief was obvious on his face.
