Murali Vijay- The Monk of Indian Cricket who Passed All the Tests

Murali Vijay- The Monk of Indian Cricket who Passed All the Tests: It was the 32nd match of the IPL 2013. The match saw Chennai Super Kings take on the Rajasthan Royals. When Murali Vijay of CSK came on to the crease not many would have predicted what unfolded. Vijay went ballistic that match and spared no bowler as he got to his century in as many as just 46 balls. His eventual 127 off 56 deliveries is regarded as one of the most entertaining T20 knocks of all time.

The six footer from Tamil Nadu when in full flow can easily be one of the most delightful sights on the cricket ground as he possesses a stylish and voguish batting style that not many can replicate or impersonate. Vijay bequeaths a unique batting style and as the legendary Allan Border said, “His defensive shots are so assured. And he looks comfortable of both front and back foot. And when he attacks, he doesn’t go hard at the deliveries. I can see why this young man is playing”.

The intrinsically talented Vijay is a subtle timer of the ball and reads the pace of the wicket quickly so as to make amends to his technique appropriately. Murali Vijay plays his best cricket in the 5-day format and has centuries both in England and Australia where pitches are traditionally bowler-friendly. He has struck tons in the seamy swinging conditions of Nottingham and scored hundreds in Adelaide and Brisbane. Many Indian batsmen dread the prospect of playing at the Gabba, Brisbane, but not the Monk as he grabbed the opportunity in both hands and reaped maximum benefit out of it.

Despite performing well in Australia in the tests he wasn’t picked for the ICC cricket world cup 2015 squad. It was later said that Indian captain Dhoni had preferred Vijay over Dhawan, but since the selectors thought otherwise he lost his spot.

He is a player who mostly prefers playing on the front and is a little dodgy with his footwork facing the moving balls early on. But despite the minor shortcoming and imperfection with his technique he has managed to stamp himself as a good player against the red ball due to his self belief and diligence. Vijay’s temperament and courage have bridged the gaps that existed in his technique. Has been absolutely clear in his mind to leave the balls outside the off-stump and that is the prime reason he has looked lot more confident, sure about his batting and has been performing consistently under all conditions.

The two time IPL champion despite his exceptional prowess has been a little under-performing particularly in the ODI format as he averages just 20 in the limited opportunities that he got. Nevertheless there was no doubt over his talent, it was sometimes his temperament that raises question marks. Having made his test debut in 2008, Murali Vijay has never turned back since then and has cemented his spot in the test team with his consistent performances over the years.

What is more tantalizing about his test performances is that he was identified firstly in the IPL as a T20 player. So to have risen in prominence as a solid test opener now is an achievement in itself. Filling in the big shoes of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag is extremely tough but he and Dhawan have emerged as top class openers and have made sure that the management and fans don’t feel the void in the absence of Sehwag and Gambhir. Murali Vijay hates to lose as much as he hates to be addressed as Murali (his father’s name) instead of Vijay. His teammates call him Monk, as he is pretty silent, an organised fellow, who maintains his composure and has a calm head.

Born on April fools day, Murali Vijay must have been a victim of several pranks by his friends. The calm and composed Vijay has all the necessary capabilities that can aid him to make a name for himself as one of the better openers in the longest form of the game.