Murali Vijay wards off pressure

Colombo: Skipper Virat Kohli’s strategy to field five bowlers would mean that six specialist batsmen can hardly afford to relax but opener Murali Vijay said there won’t be any extra pressure on them when they clash with Sri Lanka in a Test series, starting next week.

Vijay is coming into the series after making a strokeful 150 against Bangladesh in the one-off Test and the opener is eager to cement his place in the side.

“It’s actually not demanding. It is actually our role and if any one of us clicks, it’s going to be good for the team and we are going to be in a much comfortable position on most times. So it is a good challenge,” Vijay told reporters when asked about the pressure on the top-order batsman in the face of Kohli’s five-bowler theory.

“It is a good responsibility to have on your shoulder to go in and bat and these are good things. If you are looking to dominate in a Test match, you have to perform as a team. You should have the plans and work according to them,” he added.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan also made a blazing 173 in Bangladesh and with Lokesh Rahul also in line for a spot in the playing XI, the competition is intense. Vijay though is not too worried.

“It (the competition in the top-order) is going to add more challenge for everybody to pull up their socks and do their bit for the team. Be as consistent as possible and it’s a good challenge and good thing to have in a team,” he said.

With two fairly young sides up against one another starting August 12, Vijay hopes the challenge will be worth everything.

“There are a lot of youngsters, like Angelo Mathews is doing well, there is (Lahiru) Thiramanne, so there is a lot of talent in the team and it is going to be a tough series for us. We are also a young bunch of players and it is going to be a challenging series,” he said.

Vijay opines India will have the upperhand. “With Mahela retired and Sangakkkara about to (retire), there is a big hole in their batting line-up. I have watched quite a bit of Lanka’s recent series with Pakistan. They are a talented side. We are looking forward to the challenge and hopefully we can pull it off,” he said.