Vijay is fully aware of the prevailing scenario which could help him stake his claims
Murali Vijay in this file photo.
CHENNAI: Having already established himself as a prolific run-getter in Test cricket with 1629 runs in the last two seasons, M. Vijay’s ODI recall seemed only a matter of time. That’s perhaps why the player wasn’t surprised when the national selectors included the Tamil Nadu cricketer in the squad for the forthcoming Zimbabwe tour, giving him an opportunity to revive his ODI career after a gap of two years.
The 31-year-old opener, who scored a solid 150 in the one-off Test against Bangladesh recently, said the call-up was indeed an opportunity for him to start afresh in the limited overs format. “But I won’t call it a second life because I am not that desperate. It’s just a reward for my performances in recent times. I think I am good enough to play for my country. Hopefully I can do justice to myself,” said Vijay.
The elegant right-hander played the last of his 14 ODIs two years ago in a tri-series in the West Indies. On the back his brilliant form in Tests, he was later named as a replacement for an injured Rohit Sharma during the series in England last year, but he didn’t get a chance to feature in the eleven.
“I don’t think people remember what happened in the past. And I also don’t want to dwell much on that. Ifs and buts are always there in cricket. Now that I have got an opportunity, all I want to do is to make use of it,” added Vijay who has a mediocre ODI average of 19.46. He is yet to score a half-century in blue.
As the selectors have rested the set opening pair of Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan, Vijay is fully aware of the prevailing scenario which could help him stake his claims.
“Whoever does well in the Zimbabwe series stands a chance to get into the main scheme of things. However, I am just going with an open mind. I am not going to think too far ahead saying ‘how am I going to approach the series’. I am batting well at the moment, which is more important. I just want to give my team a good start,” Vijay said.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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