Vijay returns to a venue where it all started

Well over seven years after he took baby steps in Test cricket as a replacement for Gautam Gambhir here against Australia, M Vijay returns to the venue of his debut as one of the premier batsmen of this Indian side.

“Shocked” was his reaction to his maiden call-up which had come following Gambhir’s forced absence after the southpaw was suspended for a Test for violating the code of conduct for players. Though clearly in awe of the situation and the players he was sharing the dressing room with (Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag to name just a few), Vijay put on a gritty show as he shared an 88-run stand with Sehwag to pave the way for India’s win.

“This ground means a lot to me because I made my debut (here),” said Vijay here on Monday. “It is a special feeling to come to this dressing room. It is always nice to come here. I am looking forward to a good game.”

Even in that brief innings where he scored 33, Vijay had shown plenty of promise. While for the next few years the right-hander largely played as a replacement for regular openers, his returns at the crease weren’t always encouraging. Sporadic displays of spark weren’t enough for him to keep his place in the side for any decent length of time as he was eventually sidelined for a good one and half years following dismal outings against the West Indies in mid-2011.

His comeback, again in place of an out-of-favour Gambhir, began with scores of 10 and six at his home – in Chennai – against Australia but in the next two Tests he reeled off two big tons (167 in Hyderabad and 153 in Mohali). Since then, the 31-year-old has come to establish himself as one of the most consistent batsmen of this Indian side, stacking up runs in all conditions; from England to South Africa and from New Zealand to Australia.

In his chequered first half of his career, Vijay played just 12 Tests spread over close to three years, fetching himself meagre numbers – 609 runs at an average of 30.45 with a century and two fifties. Post the Chennai Test in 2013, the elegant batsman has amassed 1961 runs in 23 Tests with an impressive average of almost 50. His five hundreds are a proof of his improved conversion rate.

Vijay credits his success to him being in a good state of mind; of having understood himself better both as a person and as a batsman. “I think it is too early to answer that question because I have a lot of seasons to go,” noted Vijay when asked about his last two years. “I prepare my game for all the three formats of the game but at the moment I am fitting into the Test team so obviously I am working hard. My aim is to keep improving every session and add value to the team. At the moment I am in the right space, and for the past two years, I have been travelling around and got good experience of how you got to organise yourself out in the middle… So, lot of learning has happened and it is good both as a team and as an individual,” he remarked.

Along with Cheteshwar Pujara, he was the only Indian batsman that looked the part in the Mohali Test against South Africa. His application on a tricky surface drew effusive praise from skipper Virat Kohli. Come to think of it, Pujara and Vijay have enjoyed some big partnerships which reflect the chemistry between the two batsmen who have vastly different batting styles but are bound by the same temperament – the hunger for big innings.

“It is very important to know what your partner is up to,” said Vijay, talking about the art of building partnerships. “If he is not in good touch, it is your responsibility to take as many balls as possible to make him comfortable because those few moments you got to just pass, that is what I feel. I have a good rapport with everyone in the top five because we have played together in domestic cricket,” he offered.