IND vs AUS 2017: Pune Wicket Was Challenging Not Poor, Says Murali Vijay

Mar 1, 2017 at 8:56 PM

facebook iconlinkedin iconmail icontwitter iconWhatsApp iconTelegram icon
IND vs AUS 2017: Pune Wicket Was Challenging Not Poor, Says Murali Vijay

Contrary to the popular opinion on the Pune pitch that was used for the first Test between India and Australia, India opener Murali Vijay has said that the pitch was not ‘poor’ but challenging.

The pitch has been receiving widespread after Australia bowled out India for 105 and 107 in the two innings to register a comprehensive 333-run victory inside three days. The pitch has also been given a ‘poor’ rating by ICC match referee Chris Broad. But Murali Vijay is not willing to call the wicket a poor one and instead called it a challenging one.

 

“Pune wicket was not poor. It was a challenging wicket from ball one. As cricketers, we need to play on such wickets sometimes rather than playing on flat tracks. Actually, it is a good thing to play on wickets which test your character and technique,” he told reporters in the build-up to the second Test.

He further said that the bowlers did a good job in Pune but conceding a big lead in the first innings played a big role in the defeat.

 

“I personally thought bowlers did a great job (restricting Australia to 260 in the first innings). After conceding a big first innings lead, it was always going to be difficult. We did not play ourselves well,” said Vijay.

Another aspect that would worry the Indian camp was the poor use of the Decision Review System. Speaking over it, Vijay said:“Definitely, it (DRS usage) is not going our way. We got to take little more time I guess. We got to use those 15 seconds much better.”

He further said that the team has spoken about the mistakes committed in Pune. Apart from the poor batting, the Indian players were also poor on the field as they dropped as many as four catches in the second innings, three of them of Steve Smith alone. But Vijay said the hosts are determined to rectify their mistakes and are looking forward to starting afresh in the second Test which begins on March 4.

“We had a chat about it and we have been working on few of the areas where we could have done much better in the last Test match. We are looking forward to starting afresh and take all catches coming our way,” he said.

The Tamil Nadu ace also said the trekking trip to the Western Ghats after the heavy defeat has helped the team to get some much-needed break.

 

“(Team Bonding) Exercises like these get you closer as a team. We have been on the road for a while now. So it was good to have a couple of days break, go for a trek and get some fresh air. It was fun,” he added.

Vijay was also asked to compare the current situation with the 2015 tour of Sri Lanka where India lost the first Test before winning the next two Tests to win the series.

“Definitely (there are similarities). Having said that, we are only thinking about our own game and are positive going into the second Test. As a team, we did not do well in Pune. We just got to take it on the chin and move forward,” he said.

Related Article
Murali Vijay Revealed He Feared Of Losing His Place In Indian Test Team In 2012
Murali Vijay Revealed He Feared Of Losing His Place In Indian Test Team In 2012

Jan 19, 2023, 11:57 AM


Ishwar Pandey After Retiring Revealed He Could Have Played For India If MS Dhoni Had Shown More Trust In Him
Ishwar Pandey After Retiring Revealed He Could Have Played For India If MS Dhoni Had Shown More Trust In Him

Sep 14, 2022, 4:16 PM


Aakash Chopra Recalls Only Time He Wasn’t Neutral As A Broadcaster During India- Australia 2018-19 Series
Aakash Chopra Recalls Only Time He Wasn’t Neutral As A Broadcaster During India- Australia 2018-19 Series

Aug 15, 2022, 2:14 PM


Shikhar Dhawan Could Have Been Treated Slightly Better In Tests, Say Aakash Chopra
Shikhar Dhawan Could Have Been Treated Slightly Better In Tests, Say Aakash Chopra

Jan 3, 2022, 11:50 AM


S Sreesanth Named In Kerala’s Preliminary Squad For Ranji Trophy 2021/22, To Return To Red-Ball Cricket After 9 Years
S Sreesanth Named In Kerala’s Preliminary Squad For Ranji Trophy 2021/22, To Return To Red-Ball Cricket After 9 Years

Dec 27, 2021, 2:17 PM


Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Way Of Playing Is Similar To His Idol Rahul Dravid
Abhimanyu Easwaran’s Way Of Playing Is Similar To His Idol Rahul Dravid

May 13, 2021, 2:31 PM


Desktop Banner
Mobile Banner