India discard Murali Vijay has revealed that the constant chopping and changing might have played a part as he lost his form over that culminated in his omission from the Test squad.
“Anyone who doesn’t get to play regularly will have some doubts. When you shuffle a lot there will definitely be certain thoughts in the back of your mind over your spot... but the team-management had a different way of looking at things. And when you are part of the team, you have to contribute to the overall cause because that is what matters in the end. You are always judged on the performances. Unfortunately, I didn’t have them,” Vijay was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.
In the lead up to the England tour, Vijay was involved in a tense battle with Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul to secure a place as the preferred opener in the Indian team. The spell saw all three trading places as the team management looked to assess their value based on on-field performances. While, Vijay won the race and was picked for India’s tour of England, his display there left a lot to be desired. In his two-Test stint in England saw him score just 26 runs that included a pair at Lord’s. He was dropped from the squad for the last three Tests.
The 34-year-old then chose to utilise the time to represent Essex in the County Championships.
The opener admits, the conditions in England were challenging. But, looked to downplay his side’s struggles by stating that even the hosts could not dominate with the bat.
“Conditions were tough for batsmen. It was no doubt one of the most challenging conditions. Even the English batsmen struggled to make runs... and it is the same with our middle-order as well. None of us could support Virat (Kohli), which is why the defeat hurt a lot. After the Tests, I wanted to see where I stood and Essex was good learning curve for me to score those important runs again,” said Vijay, who will now turn up for Tamil Nadu in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Vijay is still upbeat about making a comeback and is focusing on improving his performance.
“At the end of the day it is the performance that counts. The past doesn’t matter and it is for others to judge if I deserved to be in the side or not. I’m playing this sport because it gives me joy and that is what I look forward to the most. Ups and downs are part of a cricketer’s career. I have gone through this before,” he added.