Murali Vijay has been brilliant in Tests for India with six hundreds so far, and with an average of 41.75 but with a batting average of under 20 in coloured clothing, Murali Vijay has not been able to showcase his Test form in the ODI format.
He has cemented his place as the best bet as an opener for india in tests. Vijay has given India some solid starts, which includes his performances in Australia and England, where Indian openers in the past have struggled to cope with the swing and pace but Vijay needs to click with the bat in the limited-over formats in order to be selected for the shorter formats. he is, however, optimistic about his chances. “I have been performing well and I am sure my chance will come.”
Vijay will have to wait before he gets a chance in the one-day format because even Ajinkya Rahane who has had a good season with the bat across all formats has to bat down the order and compete for a place even there with Ambati Rayudu who according to MS Dhoni is a better bet in the middle order on slow pitches.
Vijay is capable of changing his game as per the situation, as he showcased in the away tours of Australia, South Africa and England.
“In the last few seasons, I’ve curbed my instincts and preferred to play out of character. Be it in England, South Africa or in Australia, I found out what would work for me and went with it. Waiting for my time, playing each ball on merit helped me score big runs,” said Vijay.
There is no doubt about Vijay’s quality. He is capable of switching gears and really put the foot on the accelerator as was the case in the IPL. How long will it take for him to cement a place in the ODIs is something only time will tell.
