The problem with Murali Vijay

[Karan114]

The problem with Vijay Great to watch but equally frustrating to watch get out, M Vijay needs to get rid off the notion he is a loose batsman before other openers displace him ESPNcricinfo staff June 26, 2011 M Vijay can be a good batsman to watch. At times his skill even makes you gasp. There is this shot he plays, when he just pushes at a length delivery, on the up, and the ball speeds past the bowler to the boundary. You think that mid-off, if not the bowler himself, will cut it off for it was just a mere waft. The ball, however, keeps accelerating. There is a classy elegance about that shot. That class is there in Vijay's flicks as well. Yet, after 10 Tests and average of 34.06, there is a feeling that Vijay is not doing justice to his talent. Since his style is so easy on the eye, his dismissals look tame; a bit soft, like they were brought about by a lack of focus. He resembles a young Mahela Jayawardene when he gets out. He grips the bat near its top and just hangs it out to deliveries straightening outside off. It's not a stab, it's not a defensive prod inside the line; it's a limp push. Jayawardene used to do it. Sometimes, the ball cuts in past this weak prod to trap him in front. Most times, he has been out caught or lbw. Occasionally, as he did in a Test in Bangladesh, he throws it away, going for a big shot. Vijay's batting appears loose at the moment. Yet, in his impressive debut innings, he was anything but loose. He, in fact, looked quite secure. There were no lapses in concentration, there was a determination in how he guarded his off stump and there was a sense of an ambitious young man knowing how crucial it was to grab his opportunity. You can still see some of that resolve. When he enters the ground for pre-match training, he cajoles a few more players to join him on laps around the ground. He seems to have gelled well with the team; he seems to be one of the boys. It is evident that Vijay has worked hard on his batting. He used to be a defensive player in his early days. His captain at club level, Diwakar Vasu, the former Tamil Nadu bowler, recalls him being strong on the back foot, and keen to improve his attacking game. Then came a stage where, for a while, Vijay was either defensive or too attacking. He is now trying to find a middle ground and perhaps in doing so the shot selection is going awry. MS Dhoni, the India captain, didn't have a straight answer when asked about Vijay's form but there were sufficient hints to make Vijay take notice. "You may be a very good opener, but till you are tested at the international level it's very difficult to say whether you can adapt from playing domestic cricket to Test conditions," Dhoni said. "So it's very important to have a pool of openers and they should be given games. [Abhinav] Mukund looked positive." This isn't a call for Vijay's head. It's merely a look at a situation that is slowly becoming a worry for him. He is 24, and the third-choice opener after Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. The competition is catching up. In the West Indies, he has his friend Abhinav, and the gutsy Parthiv Patel with him. Vijay took up cricket at the late age of 17, moved quickly up the ranks, surprised a few when he got his Test cap, silenced a few by doing an admirable job, and then allowed them to wag their tongues about some of his subsequent knocks. Ian Bishop, the former West Indies bowler, put it succinctly. "Vijay is a problem. I saw the Indian journalists getting into a huff every time he gets out. It's because he has the propensity to look good before he fritters it away." Vijay will do well to correct that perception quickly. © ESPN EMEA Ltd. http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-v-india-2011/content/current/story/520866.html

[Cricket Tragic]

The point about the difference from his debut innings in 2008 is exactly what I said a couple of days back. I liked the look of him then but his technique has deteriorated badly. He doesn't know where his off stump is, is loose and his back foot play is non-existent. I still think that he can score a few runs at home but I'm not sure if he will be a great success overseas.

[Ultimate_Game]

Let's give him a couple more innings. This was his first game after a long while - he didn't play in odis and wasn't part of the world cup, and he got a shooter in the 2nd innings. It's tough to have a go at a batsman after just one poor innings due to a loose shot.

[Cricket Tragic]

He played in the ODIs in SA and looked very poor.

[Dravid]

ipl effect :woot:

[veer]

he puts more value in style than substance... it will work in IPL but not in Tests.. he is opposite of Pujara..

[fineleg]

The point about the difference from his debut innings in 2008 is exactly what I said a couple of days back. I liked the look of him then but his technique has deteriorated badly. He doesn't know where his off stump is, is loose and his back foot play is non-existent.

IPL/T20 era could have had an effect. We may see that more with other players too in future viz.Technique being loose or fishing for balls outside off in Tests due to the IPL/T20 effect.

[flamy]

He got too punk. Tammy doesn't know his place.

[saneindian]

He will be alright. In effect he failed in one innings , got a real shooter in the 2nd innings and was unlucky. For youngsters like him, playing test cricket without any practice match after a bout of t20s was always going to be difficult. Hopefully with more net sessions and better acclamatisation, he will do well at Barbados.

[Sooda]

Its funny that his club captain says he is a good back foot player, whilst a lot of others say that this is a fault with him. Is it that this ability has gown downhill over the years? He should just go back to being gritty and defensive, and not be 'catught in two minds' as it were. Though SaneI as you say it is hard coming stright off IPL. Dravid too mentioned the need for warm up games. Once he gets a 50 or so scratchily he will naturally feel more confident and be able to go for the shots better. Hope to see a big score from him, im sure his attitude is fine, the article points to the fact he is keen on his fitness. Hes a top fielder too.

[Sidhoni]

This series is really important for him in terms of his career.He has to perform first in Barbados to secure his place for third test and do well in that test to retain his position.

[Karan114]

This series is really important for him in terms of his career.He has to perform first in Barbados to secure his place for third test and do well in that test to retain his position.

I'm not sure about that. Vijay is likely to be selected for the England tour (either as second opener if Sehwag is injured, or third opener if Sehwag is fit), so I think he will get the third Test to hit form even if he fails at Barbados. The only scenario I can see him losing his spot in is if he fails and Abhinav Mukund gets a big score at Barbados. In that case Mukund might just edge ahead of Vijay into the England squad, and the team management might be more willing to play Parthiv instead of Vijay in the third Test. But that's unlikely.

[Cricket Tragic]

Its funny that his club captain says he is a good back foot player, whilst a lot of others say that this is a fault with him. Is it that this ability has gown downhill over the years? He should just go back to being gritty and defensive, and not be 'catught in two minds' as it were. Though SaneI as you say it is hard coming stright off IPL. Dravid too mentioned the need for warm up games. Once he gets a 50 or so scratchily he will naturally feel more confident and be able to go for the shots better. Hope to see a big score from him, im sure his attitude is fine, the article points to the fact he is keen on his fitness. Hes a top fielder too.

Yeah, his back foot play has been almost non-existent imo.

[VRV Singh]

Didn't rate him much in the first place, but now he has become a wafter as well, what a crappy shot in the first innings. It's funny, I thought we stuck with him way too long in ODIs and looking at the stats was proven right, but even overall apart from one innings vs the Aussies what has he actually done in the last 18 months? In terms of opportunity, the most blessed player in the team.

[Karan114]

Didn't rate him much in the first place, but now he has become a wafter as well, what a crappy shot in the first innings. It's funny, I thought we stuck with him way too long in ODIs and looking at the stats was proven right, but even overall apart from one innings vs the Aussies what has he actually done in the last 18 months? In terms of opportunity, the most blessed player in the team.

Well he's out of the ODI and T20I sides now (rightly so) and given he wasn't picked even for a second string team in WI, he seems far off a comeback. He merited his chances based on domestic performances so no issue there. As for Tests, to be fair he hasn't had regular opportunities, and was dropped even after scoring that hundred. But he has no excuses in this WI series - perfect chance and if he can't take it, too bad.

[VRV Singh]

Yes I think he's out of the ODI picture now. Not sure it should have taken a Zimbabwe-esque avg. and strike rate for the penny to drop. The impression I get is that he's the backup opener by default (in Tests) even if we have other options. I fully expect him to go to England irrespective of this series, for example. I don't really get it. Parthiv, Karthik? DK would have been a proactive pick given 2007 and what we're likely to face this summer. We will see though.

[Karan114]

The impression I get is that he's the backup opener by default (in Tests) even if we have other options. I fully expect him to go to England irrespective of this series' date=' for example. I don't really get it. Parthiv, Karthik? DK would have been a proactive pick given 2007 and what we're likely to face this summer. We will see though.[/quote'] Yeah, it'll be interesting to see which way they go. Karthik is definitely worth considering after his last series in England, but at the moment it does seem Vijay is going to tour whatever happens. I really can't see Vijay scoring too many in English conditions.

[achilles]

Karthik is a better choice for England. He's even done a decent job there. Ofcourse Vijay is still going to play because he scored a 100 in IPL. So who cares, right.

[desi pride 1234]

struggles against short pitch deliveries and the patience is running out. Should go back to domestic cricket if he is struggling. I guess he would not have got so much chances if srikanth wasn't the selector.

[vvvslaxman]

Karthik is a better choice for England. He's even done a decent job there. Ofcourse Vijay is still going to play because he scored a 100 in IPL. So who cares' date=' right.[/quote'] He put on 308 runs with Sachin in the test match against Australia. That doesn't count for anything?