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Sydney, Oct 7 (ANI): VVS Laxman, who had a bad back during the Mohali Test, required three painkilling injections plus tablets at each break in the game to score his priceless 73 to snatch victory from jaws of defeat and make the Australians suffer once again.

Talking about his record in close contests, particularly against Australia, Laxman explained where his remarkable calm came from.

“I think sometimes these situations get the best out of me, from the mental point of view. Mentally, I have always relished these situations. Always think right from my younger days, I really want to do well in such situations.

“If I don’t do well, I feel really bad and that I have let the team down. I keep discussing with my coaches that I should be in the same mind frame when the going is easy also,” Laxman told Cricinfo.

“Probably something to do with Hyderabad. Because when I was playing at that time, I was their main batsman and I had to get a lot of runs for them. I think the earlier part of my career with Hyderabad taught me a lot to take responsibility. Probably that helped me a lot,” he said.

Indian physio Nitin Patel played as significant a role in India’s Test win as tailenders Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha, who hung around long enough to seal victory, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

“I have been doing a lot of mobilisation exercises on my lower back and my upper back. Various techniques Nitin uses to relieve spasms. Also a lot of painkiller injections. I was not sure how it would hold up,” Laxman said.

“Then I went and had a net. Last three days I was doing nothing but sitting and having treatment. So I had a net last evening, to make sure the spasms didn’t aggravate,” he said. (ANI)