Murali Vijay has been India’s most consistent Test batsman over the last two years. In the ongoing Test series against South Africa, his knocks of 75 and 47 were crucial to India’s 108-run win inside three days in Mohali. In the second Test, in Bengaluru, he continued his form with an unbeaten 28 on the first day before rain washed out the remaining four days.
Now, as Team India go into the Nagpur Test with an aim to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, Vijay wants to continue to have a positive impact on his team’s batting at the top of the order.
“I have tried to put the team in a good position and it has been working for me. I am in a good state of mind and that is more important for me at the moment,” he said.
“I prepare to succeed in all the three formats of the game but at the moment I am fitting in the Test side. I am working hard on my batting and my aim is to keep improving in every session. In the last two years I have been travelling around the world and have got good experience. I have learnt a lot in terms of how to keep myself organised in the middle.”
With Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara has been another in-form batsman for India in the recent past, starting from his century in Sri Lanka as an opener. The two had solid partnerships in Mohali, buckling down in difficult batting conditions. Vijay, who opens the batting with Shikhar Dhawan – an aggressor – said there is not much change in his approach when he bats with a more solid Pujara.
“It is very important to know what your partner is up to. If he is not in touch it is your responsibility to face more balls and give him the time to get comfortable. Those few moments can help a batsman get into the right mindset,” Vijay said, explaining how he approaches every partnership he has with his batting colleagues.
“As for my rapport, I have a good rapport with all the top five batsmen because we have played a lot of domestic cricket together. We play as a pack.”
India’s bowlers – and spinners in particular – have maintained a tight stranglehold on the South African batsmen right through this series. Vijay said it has helped the batsmen feed on the success of the bowlers.
“As a team the bowlers doing well gives you a lot of confidence because the momentum is always with you. If you keep taking wickets the batsmen will be ready to go in. Being a good bowling unit is what most teams are after, and hopefully we can do that on a consistent basis,” he said.
“The pressure that we have put on their batsmen has been incredible to watch from the close-in fielder’s point of view. It has been a cat and mouse game and it has been going well for us. There is constant effort from both the teams to put pressure on the batsmen and it has been a good contest to be part of.”
