CHENNAI: India coach Ravi Shastri calls him a man with a big heart. His teammates say he brings calmness when he's in the middle. If not for his unbeaten 23, battling a hamstring injury, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, India may not have won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Hanuma Vihari, who is back home and currently undergoing rehabilitation at the NCA, spoke to The New Indian Express on the historic series. Excerpts:
Has it sunk in?
I was overwhelmed while watching it. The last couple of overs gave me goosebumps. The entire squad — players, support staff — put in a lot of work, so it is quite amazing when you think of what we have done. I'm really proud of being part of this epic series.
What was going through your mind?
I wish I was part of the ending stages (laughs), be it in the middle or in the dressing room. Any which way, I was happy that I could contribute to this series.
Last week you were in Sydney, taking blows while saving a Test. How was it watching the last day at the Gabba?
I could relate to what (Cheteshwar) Pujara was going through because he was fighting hard and it was similar to the resilience shown by (R) Ashwin and me in Sydney. All the batsman who batted in SCG knew what was coming because we learned a lot from it. They knew what each bowler was going to do. The result was different in Gabba and like (Ajinkya) Rahane said, SCG was as good as a win because that was the reason we were alive going to Brisbane.
What was going through your mind when you walked into the SCG on Day 5?
The win was always there in my mind. Once I got injured and Pujara got dismissed, Ashwin and myself were clear that we have to bat through the overs. A win was not possible as I couldn't run. We took it one over at a time and take it as close as possible. Obviously, when we took tea, we didn't expect to bat out the entire final session because there were 35 overs left. And against that bowling attack, that was a lot to survive. Which is why we narrowed it to one over at a time and once it got close, especially in the final hour, we knew we could do it.
How was it to face this Australian attack?
That is the thing, isn't it? When you play well and score runs against a quality attack, it always gives satisfaction. The reason why the whole of India is celebrating it is because of the quality of their team, especially their attack. I feel it is the No 1 in the world. The trajectory, the areas in which they bowl and the pace... it is very challenging. To beat them in their own backyard won't happen very often and we have done it twice in two years. So it is something remarkable.
How hard was batting with an injured hamstring?
It was tough, as I could not even stand still. I have not batted like that ever before. The pain was there, but I was focusing on giving something back to the team. They had put faith in me in the first two Tests and though I didn't get big runs, they never said anything to me. So that was the time for me to repay the faith and I was glad that I could save the Test.
With the pain, how hard it was to concentrate for over three hours?
I would say the pain helped me. I wasn't looking for runs, the only thing that was in my mind was to block the balls. And I trusted my defence to do that. Sometimes when you are looking for runs, you tend to play one shot too many, you can get greedy at times. So when you are only trying to defend and though the pain is there, I had a simple game plan: watch the ball and play as close to the body as possible. That is what I do well in first-class cricket, where I'm quite solid in defending and go for runs only when there is a loose ball. At SCG, it was like an open net where you were facing only quality bowlers but you are saving the Test for India. The pain was bad, but I was enjoying the challenge.
How was it after you came back to the hotel?
I couldn't sleep for two reasons. One was the pain and the other was the rush of adrenaline. The acknowledgement and praise didn't sink in and I slept only for a couple of hours. It took a while. It was a good feeling which I can't describe. To get messages from VVS Laxman Sir and Rahul Dravid Sir was really special.
What did they say?
It was Rahul Sir's birthday and he sent a text saying it was a great effort. So did Laxman Sir. They are legends and when they acknowledge your contribution, it feels good. Even in the team, Rahane said it was more important than the century in the West Indies. Numbers are irrelevant, isn't it? Because you need to bat according to the situation. It felt good.
You do all the hard work away from home. But you rarely get chances at home...
The team culture is all about winning. The combination is set by the support staff and captain. At home, we usually stick to five batsmen and two all-rounders. Even in Australia, we did that. To pick 20 wickets, you need five bowlers. You have to wait for the opportunity and make it count. I'm sure I will get a chance. But playing overseas is a challenge and performing for the team abroad always gives you satisfaction.
When Virat Kohli picked you as one to watch out for before the series, did it add to the pressure or did it show that he had trust in you?
I always feel secure and confident about my game and I was happy that he had the trust in me. I couldn't make it big in the first two Tests. I was batting well and even the team management said the same. But the SCG innings was satisfying because of the situation I was in and the importance of the game. The series was hanging in the balance and we couldn't afford to lose that. It was a crunch situation and no words can express that feeling.
How was it to board the flight back to Hyderabad?
I was absolutely gutted. With all the injuries happening, I wanted to be there and play the next Test. I wanted to be part of the celebration because we are never going to experience anything like this ever again. I wanted to be part of the winning atmosphere. But I was happy at the end of the day.
Is it true that you don't really step out of your hotel room?
That's the way I am. But this tour because of the bubble we were having dinners together in the common room. In the last 15 days, we had long conversations, played table tennis and so on... that was the only time I went out and spoke to the guys. At other times, I am all by myself in my own space.
You did spend time with (Mohammed) Siraj when he lost his father. What did you do?
He is a brave guy. To lose your father during an away series but to still hang in there was courageous. His attitude was brilliant and he never complained. It was phenomenal. I have known him for long. When he made his first-class debut for Hyderabad, I was the captain and I handed him the cap. So that feeling is always there. I look at him as a brother with whom I have a special connection. I knew what he was going through. He needed support at the time and I was happy to lend my shoulders. I am happy with how he performed in the series.