Laxman was a tough character, says Dravid Google Image When VVS Laxman was announcing his retirement in Hyderabad on Saturday evening, a lot of people were wondering where the man with whom he had shared so many fine and important partnerships was. Rahul Dravid was, unfortunately, stuck on a flight at that very point, somewhere between London and Bangalore. Laxman had perhaps, for once in his life, got the timing wrong and couldn’t have Dravid beside him when he told the world his time was up. TOI  “We had spoken a few times after I had retired but I must admit that I was a little surprised at the timing (of the decision to quit), in the sense that he had been selected for the Tests against New Zealand,” Dravid  Dravid always rated Laxman’s ability with the bat very high and he minced no words on that. “He is the one of the finest batsmen India has produced. Someone who I always thought had a very tough character. He simply loved challenges, loved a contest,” said Dravid. “He was known as a nice guy and while the opponents too knew that, they also knew he was a gutsy cricketer with a tough streak about him.”