Hanuma Vihari feels performance in Deodhar Trophy may earn him an ODI berth

Ever since he made that memorable debut in international cricket with a fifty against England in the Oval Test last month, Hanuma Vihari’s cricketing career has seen an upward move. Though the Andhra Pradesh captain had an ordinary performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after the England series and also the only warm-up match against the Windies, he has excelled with the bat in the just concluded Deodhar Trophy and is hoping that his latest scores could earn him a place in India’s ODI side.

Vihari, 25, hit two half-centuries – 76 and 87 not out – for India ‘B’ against India ‘A’ and India ‘C’ in the one-day tournament to single-handedly take his team to the final. Though he failed to deliver in the final, scoring just eight, he expects that his two innings could still do it for him.

‘My work is to keep performing’

Speaking to Timesnownews.com in an exclusive chat, Vihari said: “Hopefully it should. My job is to keep performing and I will keep doing that, rest is up to the team management and the selectors. For me, the team comes first, whichever it is. I play according to the situation rather than from the selection point of view.”

India’s selectors have indicated in the past that a few slots in the team’s middle-order are yet to be fixed and Vihari could fit the bill, all the more because he is a handy off-break bowler as well. In his debut Test, he took three crucial England wickets to give a glimpse of his all-round ability.

The youngster is likely to feature in the India A side that would tour New Zealand soon and prepare himself for the upcoming tour of Australia. Though he doesn’t have too much time to prepare well for the pitches Down Under, Vihari doesn’t want to do anything different.

“Don’t want to give much importance to any tour in particular. I just want to continue doing what I have done for so many years. I don’t want to try anything better,” he said, adding that he would work on tackling short deliveries as a preparation for the Australia series.

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