Murali Vijay:  The Epitome of Stylish Batting and Classy Opening 

Regarded as one of the most technically gifted batters in the nation by many, Murali Vijay celebrates his 40th birthday today. As the opening batter turns 40, let us have a look at his career. An average of 38.28 in red ball cricket just doesn't do justice to the huge potential he possessed. Blessed with a water tight technique, Vijay had the knack of scoring big hundreds. A good performance in the domestic circuit earned him his maiden call up for India and he was slotted in the Indian squad for Border Gavaskar Trophy as Gautam  Gambhir’s replacement. Although he failed to register a considerable score in the series, his exemplary technique and temperament earned him heaps of praise. However, the opening duo of Gambhir-Sehwag were at their peak and hence couldn’t find a place in the side and mainly played as an injury replacement. 

The Beginning 

The opportunities in test cricket were limited but he made sure that he remained in the spotlight with substantial performances in the Indian T20 League. Vijay notched up his maiden Test ton in 2010 but the quantum leap in his career was seen in 2013 when he compiled two back-to-back 150+ scores against Australia at home. Despite impressive performance at home, few people still doubted his skills in the testing conditions of South Africa. However, he answered his critics with a splendid 97 in Durban. 

By this time, he had become the first choice opener for India in Tests. He continued his scintillating overseas run and scored a brilliant 146 at Trent Bridge followed by a classy 95 in the second Innings that set up a historic win for India. Vijay was the lone bright spot in what was a miserable tour for India and ended as India’s highest run getter with 402 runs in 5 matches. He was at the top of his game when India toured Australia in 2014. A spectacular 99 in Adelaide was followed by a superb 144 on a tricky Gabba surface. He was the second highest scorer for India after Virat Kohli in that series against the Aussies. While his career in the long format of the game was flourishing, he couldn’t replicate his success in limited overs cricket. 

Vijay had almost everything in his batting to serve his nation for an extended period of time. However, plagued by injuries, his career did not pan out as expected. After the rise of players like Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul, Vijay couldn’t find a place as the first choice opener in the Indian squad. Subsequently, he scored two hundreds against England at home in 2016 and backed it up with twin tons against Sri Lanka in 2017. However there were a string of poor performances between those big knocks which didn’t help his cause. He then went through a acute disappointing patch on the tour to England and Australia in 2018 which resulted to his ouster from the team.