CHENNAI: The last time India toured Australia, in 2014-15, Murali Vijay was one of the standout performers. It was a tour which established him as one of the reliable overseas batsmen in the team. As the opener makes a comeback to the national side, he is first gearing up for the tour of New Zealand with the India A side before the four-Test series in Australia. Vijay, who turned out for Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy match against Madhya Pradesh, spoke about the upcoming tour and more. Excerpts...
Before Australia, you go to New Zealand. The places offer different conditions. Is it the ideal sort of preparation for the Australia series?
I am not thinking too much about the conditions and just going there for match practice and be in the best possible shape before the Australia Test series... to get some match time under my belt before Australia, get prepared for it and contribute to the team’s cause.
Have you made any technical adjustments in the time you were out of the side?
There wasn’t any adjustments that I made when I went back to England to play county cricket. The conditions were challenging and I should thank the Essex county for having me there and help me contribute to the team’s cause. It was crucial for me to go out there and do well in the three matches that I was part of (scores in three matches 56, 100, 85, 80, 2).
It seems the team management and selectors thought about your previous experience of Australia before picking you. Is it a sign of them showing more faith in you?
More importantly, I should keep faith in myself. I have to stay positive, play the way I want to and express myself fully. If I do that, I will be in a better situation.
How does it feel to make a strong statement in Essex and get back into the Indian team?
I never went to play county with the intention of getting back into the Indian team. I felt it was important to get some runs, play good cricket and it was the right time to go there and play county cricket. It just happened that I did well, which gave me that extra bit of chance to get back.
Are you making any adjustments for the Australia tour?
It’s always about a mental game for me. It’s never been a question about my ability. It’s about going out there, seeing the situation and being ready for it. That’s been preparation before any tour. To not have any inhibition before the tour, practise as hard as you can and tick all the boxes and go out there and express yourself.
Of late, you don’t practise on the eve of a match. Any particular reason behind that?
It’s been my pattern since I suffered a wrist injury. At that point of time, I couldn’t bat the way I wanted to and had to alter my preparation as well. Basically I want to be fresh for a game and keep everything for the game. It makes lot of sense to save your energy and spend it during the match rather than before the game.
Nathan Lyon will be a big challenge. Any plans for him?
You can’t allow a bowler of his calibre to settle into the lengths. Me and him had a good competition going on (the last time we played) and it will be great to once again take up the challenge and put him under pressure.
Thoughts on the Australian team?
Any international game is a mental game and not a question of attacks or even the conditions for that matter. It’s about how you win your battle mentally. Their bowlers are high-class and as a team we have been doing well. It’s all going to be about putting runs on the board in the first innings.
Huge first-innings totals go missing when India play overseas. Why is it so difficult?
It’s not that our team can’t or hasn’t scored runs but just the conditions that we faced. There we can’t go and say that we would score 400-plus on wickets where even 250 could be a match-winning total at some venues. As a batting unit, we have got to step up.
Were conditions at Lord’s the toughest that you have faced?
It tends to be (tough) because of the conditions and even the weather too didn’t help (this time). That’s the big learning from England. You have got to be aware of what’s happening.
Are you happy with the fact you are going early and getting some preparation time?
This time we have planned well and we will get practice games before the first Test in Australia. So it’s going to be ideal and hopefully our boys can gel as a team and put the best foot forward.
(venkatakrishna@newindianexpress.com)