The Indian opener, Murali Vijay brushed off the rumors of being disappointed after being dropped midway through the England Test series. On Saturday, after scoring a scintillating century in Sydney against Cricket Australia XI, Vijay is fancying his chances on the bouncier Australian wickets, which favor his backfoot game.
Team India drew the four-day tour game as India scored 211 for two in their second innings in reply to Cricket Australia XI’s 544. Vijay scored 129 off 132 balls, racing from 52 to the three-figure mark in the matter of just 27 balls, including taking 26 runs off one over.
Describing the same, the opener said, “It was good to get some practice hitting over the boundary. I just took my chances and it came my way. I know opportunities are around the corner and wanted to be in a positive frame of mind. I have been working hard on my game and fitness, and I am looking forward to contributing in this series. Hopefully, I can do that.”
WATCH – Murali Vijay Goes Berserk, Smashes 26 Runs In An Over
Vijay added 109 runs with K L Rahul, who scored a fluent 62, for the first wickets and belied the dressing room’s concerns over the opening combination after the young prodigy Prithvi Shaw got injured while fielding on day three.
Describing the same, the seasoned campaigner said, “I just want to go out there, contribute and give a good start for my team. I have always been aiming at that and nothing is different this time. We (Rahul and him) come from the same part of India so we understand each other well. He is a good guy to bat with and he is fun. Hopefully, we can carry that momentum forward into the first Test. It always feels good to go to grounds where you have scored runs as it helps you a lot and I have good memories of it.”
Further elaborating his point that the bouncier Australia pitches will suit his backfoot play, Vijay said, “Playing in Australia suits my game because I am a batsman who likes to play on the backfoot. Australia is the one place you get the bounce so you can play your shots coming from India and exploring shots that you have kept in your kit. It is about taking responsibility and doing the job for the team. You have to work and find ways to work things out. If you are not part of the team, you have to make sure you keep your work ethics at the top level and once you get the chance you have to be ready to go. That was my basic fundamental after being dropped in England until now.”
Vijay denied any concerns about the hosts putting on a 540-odd score in the practice game, despite India using all of their Test bowling resources. He said the basic idea of the practice game was to fine-tune ahead of the Test series. He also said India wasn’t starting the contest as favorites, but only aimed to play good cricket.
