Not Rohit Sharma or Virender Sehwag!! Ravi Shastri labels this player as the 2nd Best Test opener for India after Sunil Gavaskar
Updated - 05 Mar 2024, 06:13 PM
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Former Team India bowling coach Bharat Arun revealed that Ravi Shastri often refers to Murali Vijay as India’s top Test opener after the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Bharat Arun commended Murali Vijay’s character and skills, describing him as one of his favorite players.
Sunil Gavaskar is widely regarded as the finest opening batter in Test cricket history for the country. The former opener achieved remarkable milestones during his illustrious international career, including 36 Test centuries and being the first to reach 10,000 Test runs.
Following Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag is often considered the next-best Indian opener. Sehwag is the only Indian batter 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 achieved six double centuries 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 Favourite Players in India- Bharat Arun
Nonetheless, Bharat Arun mentioned that Ravi Shastri frequently asserts that Murali Vijay is the country’s second-best Test opener. Arun recalled his initial interactions with Vijay during his college days, noting that he even recommended him to another first-division team.
“If you want me to name a batter whom I knew from a very young age, Murali Vijay was someone whom I saw in college. I recommended him to another First-Division team. That’s when the journey started. Ravi [Shastri] often says that Murali Vijay is 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] have been outstanding and he is one of my favorite players,” the former bowling coach told Cricket.com.
Murali Vijay, famously known as the ‘Monk,’ was one of the few successful Test batters for the Mwn in Blue in both home and away conditions. The right-handed batter 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 out 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 notched up 12 centuries and 15 half-centuries during his tenure as an Indian opener. His notable achievements include a resilient 146 against England in 2014 and an elegant 144 against Australia in Brisbane. Despite India’s defeats in those matches, Vijay’s performances are remembered with admiration by Indian cricket enthusiasts.
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.
