Murali Vijay, the Indian opening batter revealed how he was in fear of losing his place in the team after scores of 10 and 6 in a Test match against Australia as he recalled Virender Sehwag’s words. Indian cricket has been blessed with such talented and gifted cricketers that it is but natural to forget their contribution in front of giants like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rohit Sharma in the present era.
Long before Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane became the backbone of India’s middle order in Tests, there were certain players who acted as a bridge for the transition to take place from the Rahul Dravid, and Sachin Tendulkar era. Between 2008 and 2014, during MS Dhoni’s captaincy reign, certain players emerged and made a mark, one of the most renowned of which was Murali Vijay.
Murali Vijay Recalls Virender Sehwag’s Words That The Australia 2012 Test Series Could Be His Last One
The ‘Monk’, as Murali Vijay got to be famously known as, featured in 67 Tests for India, scoring almost 4000 runs at an average of 38.28 including 12 centuries and 15 fifties. Murali Vijay, along with Shikhar Dhawan, became one of the most potent opening pairs for India in Tests, scoring centuries both home and away. Murali Vijay’s career however, can be categorized into two parts to understand it better – one before 2011 and the one after 2012.
Between 2008 and 2011, Murali Vijay was a promising star but it was during the India vs Australia Test series in 2013 that the batter really came into his elements. Recalling the epic series, Vijay revealed how he was in fear of losing his place in the team after scores of 10 and 6 in the first match. But once Murali Vijay scored 167 off 361 balls in the second Test at Hyderabad, he knew it was his time to shine.
“I definitely felt that (turning point of career) when I scored my hundred in Hyderabad for my comeback – it was 2012 if I am not wrong. I don’t know the exact year but around that time, when Virender Sehwag and myself were opening, I had this hint. He came to my saying ‘This might be your last Test series’. And I felt Hyderabad innings was something pure out and above,” he said on the Wednesday with WV Raman.
Mirali Vijay followed his second Test century with a third in the very next Test, scoring 153 in Mohali, also Shikhar Dhawan’s Test debut. From there on, Murali Vijay never looked back. He quickly took over the moniker of being one of India’s best batters away. In 2014, Murali Vijay hit 146 against England in Nottingham to go with a solid knock of 144 against Australia in Brisbane, two of the best knocks ever played by an Indian opener away from home in this century.
Murali Vijay Was Confident To Perform Anywhere In The World After That Hyderabad And Nottingham, Trent Bridge’s Innings
Murali Vijay would go on to hammer back-to-back centuries once again against Sri Lanka in 2017 before losing his place once and for all after a poor outing in England 2018. But as Murali Vijay pointed out, he had reached a different level after that Hyderabad innings.
“I never thought I would be having so much patience and play there. And that knock gave me the faith and belief that I can perform anywhere. The situation of my personal life and cricket hit me together. After that I never looked back. I completely had the confidence to go and perform anywhere in the world. Trent Bridge was one of the best knocks I have played,” added the India opener.
Murali Vijay recalled the time when his fellow opener Virender Sehwag hinted to him that his time might be up back in 2012 following a couple of poor performances in Test cricket. Murali Vijay was one of the most reliable openers for Team India between 2008 and 2011, but during India v Australia Test Series in 2012, the opener was all about to lose his place in the team.
Actually, after Murali Vijay could manage only 10 and 6 in the first Test against Australia, Virender Sehwag told the right-hander that he may be playing his last Test series for India, and it pumped him up to play one of the memorable knocks of his career of 167 off 361 balls in the second Test in Hyderabad. He featured in 67 Tests for India, scoring around 4000 runs at an average of 38.28 with the help of 12 centuries and 15 fifties. His last Test came in 2018 against Australia in Perth.