Talk about an unsung hero and a name that readily comes to the mind is Murali Vijay. The opener’s monk-like countenance has had a calming effect at the top of the Indian order in Tests. His contributions have been priceless and certainly one of the reasons why India, today, are on a 19-Test unbeaten run, though in the lustre of a certain Virat Kohli, his achievements tend to escape the eye. However, in no way can it be denied that he is a vital cog in Kohli’s team that is looking pretty unstoppable at the moment.
The numbers bear that out. He may not have had a particularly great time in the New Zealand series last year that started off India’s home season, but bounced back with two hundreds in the following series against England. He added another hundred to his name in the last match – the one-off Test against Bangladesh – and will head into the Australia series brimming with confidence.
