Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman has expressed his disappointment over the team management’s decision to make him open the innings for India in the third Test match in Melbourne. Vihari who is a regular middle-order batsman in domestic cricket came out to open the innings with debutant Mayank Agarwal after regular openers KL Rahul and Murali Vijay were dropped for the squad for the Test match. It was a short stay for Vihari at the crease, however, as he was dismissed for 8 off 66 balls.
“That’s where as a team management you invest and support a player [so that] … the next Test he plays he can turn it around. It’s really unfair and unfortunate for Vihari to open in an international match. He was never done that in first-class cricket or any form of cricket” said Laxman.
He further expressed his surprise at India’s opening combination with two of their regular openers dropped from the Melbourne Test.
“I’m very surprised with the opening combination. Especially on this tour, where Australia have got three quality fast bowlers, the importance of playing out overs and seeing off the new ball so that the middle-order batsmen can come and play their style of cricket … so I am surprised” said Laxman.
Laxman added that the team management should have backed Murali Vijay for the third Test as he showed the determination and technique in the second Test in Perth to have been given a place in the playing XI in Melbourne. He urged the team management to back senior players like Vijay who has proved himself in Test matches overseas. The discarded opener scored 48 in the first two Tests after which he was shown the door.
“While Mayank Agarwal would have been an automatic choice, particularly when keeping in mind that Prithvi Shaw is out of the series and KL Rahul is struggling with his confidence level, I felt that Murali Vijay showed a glimpse of what Murali Vijay can do.
