'Unluckiest cricketer at the moment' - Hanuma Vihari's ouster from Cape Town Test leaves Twitter disappointed

Spare a thought for Hanuma Vihari! The right-handed batter, who hasn’t got regular chances, batted brilliantly in the preceding second Test against South Africa. However, he had to make the way to accommodate regular skipper Virat Kohli in the playing XI for the deciding Test. Now, this decision was on the cards but given that the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane haven’t performed consistently, Twitterati feel Vihari deserved a longer run.

For the unversed, Kohli gave the second Test, which took place in Johannesburg, a miss due to an upper back spasm.  Hence, Vihari, who had been waiting for his chances for long, got a place in the line-up. On a track where pacers enjoyed a gala time, Vihari returned with scores of 20 and 40 not out.

In fact, the 40 in India’s second innings came under extreme pressure as Vihari had to bat with tail-enders to help his side set a formidable target. Although his efforts weren’t fruitful as India suffered a seven-wicket defeat, many fans and experts lauded Vihari for showing remarkable resistance in front of a potent Proteas bowling attack.

12 of Hanuma Vihari’s 13 Test appearances have come on foreign soil

However, his impressive show wasn’t enough to get a place in the third and final clash at the Newlands, Cape Town. Netizens are disappointed with Vihari’s outser as the batter has always showcased his potential in difficult situations. In fact, 12 of his 13 Test matches so far have been played on foreign soils. However, the 28-year-old still managed to score 684 runs at an average of 34.2. This also includes one century and four fifties.

Another reason why fans are disappointed with Vihari’s ouster is the form of other batters in the line-up. Veterans Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane have been enduring a lean patch in the last couple of years. Many fans and experts have even questioned their place in the lineup. However, the duo has received backing from the team management.

As both these batters also scored impressive half-centuries in the previous game, Vihari’s axing became even easier for the team management. Now, it will be interesting to see how this move pays off for the visitors, who are chasing their maiden Test series win in the rainbow nation.

Meanwhile, let’s look at how Twitterati reacted to Hanuma Vihari’s ouster: