Didn’t believe I could do it - Hanuma Vihari on how he overcame pain and self-doubt

Hanuma Vihari, who combined with Ravichandran Ashwin to pull off a stellar draw for India at the SCG, has revealed about being unsure of batting on after tearing his hamstring very early in his innings.

The middle-order batsman had told the physio he could neither run nor bat but was asked to carry on after being taped in the injured region. Speaking to Sports Today, Hanuma Vihari recalled:

“When I went into bat, (Cheteshwar) Pujara was batting well, and we went for a quick single. Everybody saw that I snapped my hamstring, but I knew immediately, I couldn’t run. I told the physio ‘see I don’t think it’s a spasm or a cramp’. I could feel the hamstring core. So, he said ‘okay, I will stretch you a little and give you a table, and you see how it goes’.”

Hanuma Vihari took a tablet and faced the first ball against Nathan Lyon but felt extreme pain. He told Pujara he couldn't run or bat. However, the experienced No. 3 batsman asked Hanuma Vihari to hang around and see how he felt in the next few balls.

Hanuma Vihari further revealed:

“I played that over and called the physio again. I said ‘I don’t think I can run or maybe bat; I didn’t believe I could do it’. He said he would tape it around and asked me to see if I could do it (continue batting).”

Proud and privileged to be a part of this side! 🇮🇳 #jaihind pic.twitter.com/tB770Vd9ze

— Hanuma vihari (@Hanumavihari) January 19, 2021

Cheteshwar Pujara's dismissal left Hanuma Vihari with no option

After the dismissal of Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari knew he had no option but to bat on. Ravichandran Ashwin was next in, and an injured Ravindra Jadeja awaited after that.

Hanuma Vihari said in this regard:

“I told myself I have 20 minutes to Tea, and I will just bat it out and then see what happens. Then I did that, I went into the dressing room. They gave me a pain-killer injection. Then a few of the support staff came and told me ‘you owe the team for the belief they have shown in you’. Obviously, in the first two games, I didn’t do anything big. But it was time for me to give it back to the team in some way.”

Hanuma Vihari revealed that as he was not able to stretch out against Nathan Lyon, he requested Ashwin to face the off-spinner, and he would stand up to the fast bowlers. He added in this regard:

“We took it one over at a time, and we made the impossible possible, I guess. That’s how I batted through pain for four hours.”

Hanuma Vihari and Ashwin played out 258 balls as the pair pulled off an unbelievable draw for India at the SCG; Ashwin himself battled back spasms during that innings.

Hanuma Vihari finished on 23 not out off 161 balls while Ashwin ended unbeaten on 39 off 128 deliveries.

Thanks for all the love and concern over the past few days, will come back stronger! 💪 pic.twitter.com/YXOKy3cgPf

— Hanuma vihari (@Hanumavihari) January 13, 2021

Both Hanuma Vihari and Ashwin failed to recover for the final Test. But their heroics ensured the visitors went to Brisbane with the series level at 1-1, where they pulled off yet another unexpected win to win the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar series