India seek M Vijay's calming influence in times of uncertainty: Nagraj Gollapudi

[Lannister]

Is opening in Test cricket the most daunting task? The opener walks in, takes guard, looks around and finds the vultures already closing in first thing in the morning - from the slips, from gully, perhaps from short leg. The character of the pitch is not known, even though the bowler's characteristics are. Your team needs you to see off the new ball. But you don't even know what is going to happen in those early minutes.

The best opening batsmen in modern Test cricket have used different methods to conquer the nerves. Virender Sehwag thrashed the new ball. Matthew Hayden charged the fast men. Justin Langer meditated with that eagle-eye stare.

M Vijay? He likes to watch the new ball closely and only put bat to it if he really has to.

 

Later this week, Vijay will mark his guard against James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England's two highest wicket-takers of all time. India might not know who their second opener is yet, but Vijay's spot is secure, especially after his gritty half-century against an Essex XI on a green, seaming pitch. The fact that India still are deliberating over whether to pick Shikhar Dhawan or KL Rahul as the second opener makes Vijay that much more valuable.

 

On the 2014 tour of England, Vijay was India's best batsman. He was the third-highest run-maker overall, and the only batsman on either side to face more than 1000 balls. Vijay faced 1054 deliveries to score 402 runs at an average of 40.20, with a century and two half-centuries, one of them a match-winning third-innings 95 at Lord's.

 

It was the middle of a lucrative period for Vijay, at a time when India played back-to-back-to-back-to-back Test series in South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia. He faced more balls than any other India batsman on those tours, scored more runs than anyone other than Virat Kohli, and was one of only three Indian batsmen with 40-plus averages.

 

The method he employed was heavily reliant on watchfulness and judgment outside the off stump. Of the 996 balls he faced of fast bowling on that 2014 England tour, for instance, Vijay left alone 403 (40.46%) and defended 351 (35.24%) - this meant he played other shots off less than a quarter of the balls he faced from the quicks.

 

This January, when India toured South Africa, he seemed to depart somewhat from that method, making a pronounced shuffle across his stumps and leaving the ball less often. In the first two Tests, his leave percentage against quicks was 35.33, down from 40.00% on India's previous tour of the country in 2013-14.

 

He was out caught keeper, slips or gully in three of his first five innings of the series, before the old Vijay reappeared in his final innings of the tour, a three-and-a-quarter-hour display of vigilance on a Wanderers track of spiteful inconsistent bounce. He "only" made 25, but his innings laid the foundation for India to set a target well beyond South Africa's reach. In that innings, he left 61 of the 127 balls he faced, all from the quicks, or an astonishing 48.03%.

 

Last week at Chelmsford, Vijay showed enough character to survive challenging conditions early on when the Indians lost Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara in the first half hour and then Ajinkya Rahane about an hour after electing to bat. Vijay was the only batsman to face more than 100 balls (113) during his nearly three-hour stay at the wicket.

 

Calling the conditions "tough" for any opening batsman, India coach Ravi Shastri said an opener in that situation would need to be "prepared to go through the grind", which Vijay did remarkably well. For Shastri, what also stood out was Vijay's mental discipline to deny the bowlers an opening at his end; by the time the middle order arrived, conditions had become easier to bat in.

 

Leaving the ball might come across as boring. Doing it well takes hours of understanding which ball to leave, when to stay patient, when to drive, when to rotate strike. A day before the warm-up match, which was India's first day of training with the red ball on this tour, Vijay was on his own on a practice pitch to the side of the training nets. He was padded up, had his gloves on, and his helmet.

 

For about 15 minutes, like a pugilist doing shadow-boxing, Vijay shadow-practiced with the bat. Facing an imaginary bowler, he defended under his eyeline, moving his head first, then the feet, then the bat. He played the square drive, the cut, ducked a bouncer, pulled one. And, yes, he left a few alone. To his left Virat Kohli's bat was making all the noise. Vijay was unruffled.

 

On Monday, at the training nets, Vijay faced Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur. When Pandya and Thakur began describing the imaginary fields they had set, Vijay didn't let them finish. "Bowl to your strength. I'm playing normal," he told them. His sole focus was on watching the ball, and only then deciding what to do.

 

Shastri observed Vijay from silly mid-off in a teapot stance. He would go on to ask Vijay what guard he had taken. "Hmm, leg-middle."

Vijay missed twice as he tried to play the ball on the up. He stayed calm. He defended the next ball confidently, with bat meeting ball close to the pad. Vijay just wanted to feel normal. He did not want to be pushed by bowlers challenging him with their fields.

 

Asked to define the challenge of being an opener, Alastair Cook, a veteran of 156 Tests and approximately a million deliveries, was embarrassed to start with clichés. "You have got to be a pretty good judge of what to play and what not to play," Cook said. "You need to put the bad ball away. How many more clichés can I come up with… need a little bit of luck along the way. It is a really challenging place to bat, certainly in the English conditions with the Dukes ball. One thing probably I will look back on when I do stop will be how proud I was of my longevity by being an opener against the new ball, against the fresh bowlers. But if you get past that, you know you have got a great platform."

 

Cook recounted what his mentor Graham Gooch had told him early on: "Get past the new ball, you are in your 30s or 40s you have got your eye in. As the bowlers are getting tired you can really set up games of cricket."

That's Vijay's responsibility and challenge: to set up games for India.

 

http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/24235015/india-seek-m-vijay-calming-influence-s-uncertainty

[Lannister]

This writer makes a lot of sense. I have to say I have been enjoying his articles for quite some time. 

[philcric]

1 hour ago, UnknownGenius said:

One of India's greatest ever openers. Top 5 for sure. Strong case for top 3

 

Opening is toughest job in test matches and we all saw how selfish Tendulkar failed as an opener and moved lower down the order for easy runs after ball gets old, stops swinging and Frontline bowlers are tired

 

I would rate VJ right after sehhwag when it comes to all time Indian test openers

 

Viru

VJ / Gavaskar 

 

Absolutely.

 

Tendulkar survived only 1 innings at the top of the order. Brian Lara 2 innings.

 

Ponting and Kallis were so phattu that they didn't even attempt.

 

[rkt.india]

2 hours ago, UnknownGenius said:

One of India's greatest ever openers. Top 5 for sure. Strong case for top 3

 

Opening is toughest job in test matches and we all saw how selfish Tendulkar failed as an opener and moved lower down the order for easy runs after ball gets old, stops swinging and Frontline bowlers are tired

 

I would rate VJ right after sehhwag when it comes to all time Indian test openers

 

Viru

VJ / Gavaskar 

when did Tendulkar open in tests? he was not an opener.

[Gollum]

@UnknownGenius You need to master the art of subtlety . 

 

Gavaskar is the greatest opener of all time, forget Indian ones.

 

But I agree with you about Sadagopan Ramesh, his batting against 1999 Pak was epic, that was some high quality bowling he conquered. However it was Dalmiya-Ganguly duo that removed him. In 2003 Australia he got a high quality 80 in a warm up match (that time most teams used to lose warm ups in Aus..that's how strong and full of aura even the Shield teams were) and was promptly benched to bring in Aakash Chopra. Gangu even before that had made some disparaging comments about Ramesh....clearly he felt insecure to have another quality southpaw in the squad. Sincere confession from a lifelong Dada fan, he was a great skipper but his failure to groom Ramesh will always be held against him....one of the classic cases of 'what if' moments in Indian cricket. Incidentally Dalmiya also had a role in sidelining Kambli from the Indian team. 

[Switchblade]

21 minutes ago, rkt.india said:

when did Tendulkar open in tests? he was not an opener.

He opened against the Kiwis in Ahmedabad in 1999 in the second innings when follow on was not enforced and perished cause India needed quick runs so according to Unknown Genius that's a failure.

[Switchblade]

2 hours ago, UnknownGenius said:

Btw there was another great opener who career was cut short when Tendulkar got jealous and started bringing I'm Sameer dighe, Vijay Dahiya, wasim jaffer etc

 

His name was sadagoppan Ramesh. Averaged 50+ as an opener I'm test cricket for a long time before Tendy got envious and destroyed his confidence

[Switchblade]

16 minutes ago, Gollum said:

@UnknownGenius You need to master the art of subtlety . 

 

Gavaskar is the greatest opener of all time, forget Indian ones.

 

But I agree with you about Sadagopan Ramesh, his batting against 1999 Pak was epic, that was some high quality bowling he conquered. However it was Dalmiya-Ganguly duo that removed him. In 2003 Australia he got a high quality 80 in a warm up match (that time most teams used to lose warm ups in Aus..that's how strong and full of aura even the Shield teams were) and was promptly benched to bring in Aakash Chopra. Gangu even before that had made some disparaging comments about Ramesh....clearly he felt insecure to have another quality southpaw in the squad. Sincere confession from a lifelong Dada fan, he was a great skipper but his failure to groom Ramesh will always be held against him....one of the classic cases of 'what if' moments in Indian cricket. Incidentally Dalmiya also had a role in sidelining Kambli from the Indian team. 

He is not a good one in regards to trolling Gollum .In regads to Ramesh he did well for us his footwork was lazy though isn’t it?After being dropped he acted in Tamil Movies if I am not wrong.

[Gollum]

19 minutes ago, Switchblade said:

He is not a good one in regards to trolling Gollum .In regads to Ramesh he did well for us his footwork was lazy though isn’t it?After being dropped he acted in Tamil Movies if I am not wrong.

Yup his footwork was lazy but he had good hand-eye co-ordination, superb timing and a wide array of shots. Also wasn't an impulsive shot maker like Viru, seen him grind his way many times in difficult conditions. I am not saying he was ATG prospect but what he did against that Pak attack (Wasim, Waqar, Akhtar, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain, Mushtaq Ahmed, Afridi ) was very impressive...outbatted Sachin, Dravid, Azhar, Laxman, Dada, handily that too in his debut series . Also a great player of spin, played the ball so late. At that time we were going through a phase where many openers were tried and all failed. Before Gambhir's arrival, a Viru-Ramesh opening jodi would have strengthened our side methinks.  

 

He lost motivation after the continuous snubs and went to act in South Indian movies, mainly Tamil I guess. 

Edited July 31, 2018 by Gollum

[philcric]

2 hours ago, rkt.india said:

when did Tendulkar open in tests? he was not an opener.

 

So what?

 

It's annoying when people bring facts into a discussion.

 

 

[nevada]

Looks like Vijay has calmed the batting lineup to the extent that they don't even disturb the scorer.

[Switchblade]

His time is up now he is done and dusted

[Gollum]

Joker.

[The Dark Horse]

Influence? He has become influenza

[Lannister]

I would give him one more chance as we don't have a suitable replacement with in the squad, and that's it for him. He should be guiding Rahul at the other end, and not looking like a deer caught in the headlights himself. 

[Gollum]

12 minutes ago, Lannister said:

I would give him one more chance as we don't have a suitable replacement with in the squad, and that's it for him. He should be guiding Rahul at the other end, and not looking like a deer caught in the headlights himself. 

Time for guiding and mentoring is over. Rahul has 25 tests under his belt and enough talent..if he can't step up in SENA type conditions he has only himself to blame. I fear he is going in the wrong direction with his clowning, more a Kyrgios than a Zverev atm. Will be a tragic loss for Indian cricket if he can't translate his God gifted talent to consistent performances...where's his focus these days?

[Lannister]

33 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Time for guiding and mentoring is over. Rahul has 25 tests under his belt and enough talent..if he can't step up in SENA type conditions he has only himself to blame. I fear he is going in the wrong direction with his clowning, more a Kyrgios than a Zverev atm. Will be a tragic loss for Indian cricket if he can't translate his God gifted talent to consistent performances...where's his focus these days?

He still has a huge role to play for India. I mean if he cannot score runs then nobody can. You think players like Shaw, Gill, Pant will score runs here. 

[Khota]

Another useless autor propping up a washed up batsman.

[Switchblade]

1 minute ago, Khota said:

Another useless autor propping up a washed up batsman.

[Laaloo]

52 minutes ago, Khota said:

Another useless autor propping up a washed up batsman.

 Like how you prop up dhawan overseas and Karthik these days?