this is what murali vijay said after the end of day's play... after scoring a well deserved hundred...
"It was really special knock for me. I would like to dedicate this to my mom. It was a dream come true for me to play with Sachin. I was just focused on each ball and not try to think too far ahead. In that regard Sachin paaji helped me a lot. He gave me pep-talks through the day. After the tea I got tired; I didn't want to give my wicket away but ended up playing a bad shot. I am trying to just keep things simple and work on my basics; whenever I get my opportunities I want to do well."
this is a significant statement coming from a youngster of about 26 years of age just into international cricket... who batted alongside the veteran of 21 years of almost non-stop international cricket at the age of more than 37 year... and still batting as strong and as relaxed as if he has just come to crease... taking quick singles or twos with youngsters like murali... raina.... and later with dhoni... during his marathon innings of 190+
yes... age is just a number... right murali...?
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there are many players who get labeled as 'test specialists'... coz it is perceived their game... their temperament suits more to the longer format of the game rather than the shorter format...
from past... players like rahul dravid faced consistent scrutiny through out their LOI career despite scoring ten thousand runs... to the present one murali vijay who is denied opportunities for the same perception... though both have and are playing some scintillating t20 innings... the shortest format... without much altering their game... but for the prejudice...
on the other hand there are players like our own jatman, virender sehwag, who despite their tailor made game for shorter (or shortest version) are more successful in the longer format of the game...
just coz their strike rate is higher in short format and when stars align perfectly in sky they play some match winning knocks too... they get away with most of the things... despite leaving their team high and dry coz of their 'natural' game more often than not...
when we expect players like murali vijay, the so called test specialists, to adjust their game to the demands of shorter format and thereby team's interest... why we do not expect the same from players like sehwag...?
why we should not brand players like sehwag as 'test specialist' by same token...?
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its not easy to look anywhere when jatman savages bowlers... teams... morales... reputations... the way only he can...
watching jatman is like a roller coaster ride... which evokes all possible emotions in you... like life itself... coz when he plays he metaphors into a life... some days you will walk like king... some days you want to be left alone... some days you want to fight... some days you will throw the towel in disgust... and some days you will ask god that if this is my last day on earth then it could not have been better...
but this post is not about jatman... its about murali vijay...
more than the runs he scored yesterday... its his re-assuring demeanor on field which makes you believe that future of indian cricket will be in safe hands...
he has the temperament and body language which not only oozes confidence but distinctly pronounce he belongs to the highest level... he eases in like he was never out of the team... you would be fooled in believing if actually he was opening in this series all this while or was he merely filling in the shoes of the most prolific opener of team india... gautam gambhir...
so it comes as no surprise that he did well both times in such a short notice... coming out of cold...
given that we have the opening combination to die for... and it will be hard to find a place for him at the very top... then why not play him in middle order...? if a middle order batsman can be converted into an opening batsman then why not an opener can be drafted into the team to, say, bat at no. 3...?
indian cricket must find a place for the players like murli vijay... who really wants to represent india at the highest level unlike glamorous pretenders who would often play tape recorded statement that they love test cricket... when their temperament... their approach towards highest form of game is anything but that...
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india suffered another setback... apart from sehwag's shoulder injury... now gambhir is on his way back to home owing to groin injury... leaving team india without their established opening pair of all seasons and formats... before triangular series and possibly champions trophy...
though we may never know how he got this injury but if it has come with the new-age stupid warm ups that cricketers are forced to do these days in the name of 'relaxation'... i hope his case is the last case...
kohli is chosen as the replacement for gambhir... which is a wrong move in my eye despite me advocating him to be in the team at the first place... for me he should have been in the team instead of yusuf pathan... which baffles me even now that how he continues to find place in the team without doing anything of note...
anyways, now that kohli is going the move seems wrong in many ways... murali vijay should have been the natural choice ahead of him... here is why...
- sachin coming in after injury and we still don't know anything about his match fitness and form...
- this leaves only dinesh karthik with some recent experience and form in an opening position...
- kohli too is under going rehabilitation in national cricket academy for shoulder injury... why risk aggravating his injury further...?
- if gambhir's injury turns out to be more serious than anticipated... sending an opener for an opener would have served india better coz next assignment of champions trophy is not that far... it would have helped vijay find some groove and form in real match conditions which one can not find however strenuously one work out in the nets...
- specially since champions trophy is going to be in south africa where chances of specialist opener succeeding are far superior than the makeshift opener due to bouncy and seaming conditions which prevails over there...
- and finally the way murly handled out of blue call for opening the innings due to gambhir serving ban of one match against aussies at home series... shows that he has unflappable attitude and does not easily gets overawed by opposition and occasion...
may be cheeka got defensive of pushing his native candidate... or may be the selection is the case of eye for an eye... delhi's loss should be delhi's gain... whatever... the move does not inspire confidence... planning... logic...
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