<p>In his first Test for more than 12 months, the 25-year-old opener stepped in to admirably fill the breach created by Gautam Gambhir’s self-enforced absence, associating himself in a 221-run stand with Virender Sehwag as India replied strongly to Sri Lanka’s 393 on the second day of the final Test.<br /><br />The Tamil Nadu right-hander looked the part during his three-hour stint, matching his illustrious opening partner stroke for stroke before his first false shot, an attempted sweep off Rangana Herath, brought about his downfall for 87.<br /><br />“It was a bad shot to play in that situation,” Vijay, playing only his second Test, acknowledged. “It is a learning curve for me and I am enjoying every bit of it. Performing for India is the ultimate high, I am living it right now. Obviously, my turn will come. Gautam and Viru are both playing very well and I hope they continue in the same way. Whenever I get an opportunity, I’ve got to be prepared.<br /><br />“No instructions were given to me, but I had an extra burden on my head that I had to get us off to a good start because of the record Gautam and Viru have together. I have been doing really well in domestic cricket, I just wanted to go out and give it my best.”<br /><br />In awe of Sehwag, unbeaten on 284 at stumps, Vijay gushed, “It is always good to play with him. He is a great batsman, I enjoyed batting with him. His was a fantastic innings. You learn a lot by watching him play. I hope he can carry on and get 400. Batting with him takes the pressure off you because if you play normal cricket, you get runs. He always keeps you in a calm state of mind. It is important to stay calm while playing international cricket. He does it and in a lot of ways, he helps me out.”<br /><br />Vijay got to his maiden Test fifty by shimmying down the track and lashing Muttiah Muralitharan over long-on for six. The two Muralis share a good relationship, Vijay calling the Sri Lankan ace ‘Murali anna’. “I didn’t see the scoreboard. He had mid-on and mid-off up for me, so I just came out and went for it. I played a lot with him in the IPL. I wanted to play solid because that way, I could get some runs. I know he is a great bowler, I went out looking to play positively.”</p>
<p>In his first Test for more than 12 months, the 25-year-old opener stepped in to admirably fill the breach created by Gautam Gambhir’s self-enforced absence, associating himself in a 221-run stand with Virender Sehwag as India replied strongly to Sri Lanka’s 393 on the second day of the final Test.<br /><br />The Tamil Nadu right-hander looked the part during his three-hour stint, matching his illustrious opening partner stroke for stroke before his first false shot, an attempted sweep off Rangana Herath, brought about his downfall for 87.<br /><br />“It was a bad shot to play in that situation,” Vijay, playing only his second Test, acknowledged. “It is a learning curve for me and I am enjoying every bit of it. Performing for India is the ultimate high, I am living it right now. Obviously, my turn will come. Gautam and Viru are both playing very well and I hope they continue in the same way. Whenever I get an opportunity, I’ve got to be prepared.<br /><br />“No instructions were given to me, but I had an extra burden on my head that I had to get us off to a good start because of the record Gautam and Viru have together. I have been doing really well in domestic cricket, I just wanted to go out and give it my best.”<br /><br />In awe of Sehwag, unbeaten on 284 at stumps, Vijay gushed, “It is always good to play with him. He is a great batsman, I enjoyed batting with him. His was a fantastic innings. You learn a lot by watching him play. I hope he can carry on and get 400. Batting with him takes the pressure off you because if you play normal cricket, you get runs. He always keeps you in a calm state of mind. It is important to stay calm while playing international cricket. He does it and in a lot of ways, he helps me out.”<br /><br />Vijay got to his maiden Test fifty by shimmying down the track and lashing Muttiah Muralitharan over long-on for six. The two Muralis share a good relationship, Vijay calling the Sri Lankan ace ‘Murali anna’. “I didn’t see the scoreboard. He had mid-on and mid-off up for me, so I just came out and went for it. I played a lot with him in the IPL. I wanted to play solid because that way, I could get some runs. I know he is a great bowler, I went out looking to play positively.”</p>
