Chennai sources stated that Murali Vijay regained his form while playing for Essex after being dropped from India's Test squad but the opener insists that neither had he tinkered with his technique during his County stint nor he played there to reclaim his place. Meanwhile the Tamilnadu opener endured a poor run in England, making 20, 6, 0 and 0 in the first two Tests and was dropped. Subsequently he signed up for Essex and scored a ton and three half centuries.
Accordingly Vijay, who will be part of the India A' team that is leaving for New Zealand later this week, said though the conditions would be different from those Down Under, it was about getting some match practice and some runs under his belt. Furthermore Vijay said he was ready to face the challenge posed by Australia's premier spinner Nathan Lyon during the upcoming series.
He said "You can't allow a bowler of his Lyon's caliber to settle into his rhythm. We both had a good competition going on the last time we played and it will be great to once again take him on and put him under pressure”. Moreover the Test player, who underwent a surgery in April this year to heal a wrist injury, said he had to alter his training methods should thank Essex for having him and giving him an opportunity to play the way he wanted to. We had crucial three matches, and it really motivated him. He could step up and contribute, so he was happy to gain some experience there”.
