Former Team India bowling coach Bharat Arun revealed that Ravi Shastri often refers to Murali Vijay as India’s best Test opener after the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Bharat Arun praised Murali Vijay’s character and skills and described him as one of the favorite players of his.
Sunil Gavaskar is widely regarded as the greatest opening batsman in the country’s Test cricket history. The former opener achieved notable milestones during his illustrious international career, including 36 Test centuries and being the first to reach 10,000 Test runs.
After Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag is often considered the next best Indian opener. Sehwag is the only Indian batsman to have scored multiple triple centuries in Test cricket. He amassed 8586 runs in 104 Tests at an average close to 50, including 23 centuries.
Sehwag’s illustrious career spanned from 2002 to 2013. In addition to his two triple hundreds, he scored a remarkable 293 against Sri Lanka and made six double hundreds in Tests. Notably, he formed a 410-run partnership with Rahul Dravid against Pakistan in Lahore, marking India’s second-highest Test partnership record.
Murali Vijay is one of my favorite players in India: Bharat Arun
However, Bharat Arun mentioned that Ravi Shastri often claims that Murali Vijay is the second best Test opener in the country. Arun recalled his initial interactions with Vijay during their college days and noted that he even recommended him to another first division team.
“If you want me to name a batsman I knew from a very young age, Murali Vijay was someone I saw in college. I recommended him to another First Division team. That’s when he began the journey. Ravi [Shastri] Murali Vijay is often said to be the best Test opener India had after Sunil Gavaskar.”
“And that’s a huge compliment today. So I can say that my interactions with him [Vijay] “He has been exceptional and is one of my favorite players,” the former bowling coach told Cricket.com.
Murali Vijay, known as the ‘Monk’, was one of the few successful Test batsmen for the Mwn in Blue both at home and away. The right-handed batsman announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket in January last year.
The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer made his Test debut against Australia in 2008. He batted as an opener in 100 innings of 105 in his Test career. The veteran scored 3,880 runs at the top of the order at a decent average of 39.19, with his best score being 167 runs.
Vijay accumulated 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries during his tenure as the Indian opener. His notable achievements include a resilient 146 against England in 2014 and a classy 144 against Australia in Brisbane. Despite India’s defeats in those matches, Indian cricket enthusiasts remember Vijay’s performances with admiration.
Vijay and Dhawan formed a reliable opening pair, scoring 1500 runs together between 2013 and 2018, including a notable century and fifty partnerships, with a top score of 289. The opener last played for India in a Test match against Australia in Perth in December 2018. .
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