Why Murali Vijay can be a game changer against Australia

One of the few treasured finds of the post-Sachin Tendulkar era, this talented batsman from Tamil Nadu has gained a wildcard entry to the Indian Test team again. Since this is a do or die situation for him, all eyes are on Murali Vijay for the upcoming Test series against Australia later this year. A classy batsman whose shots sometimes resemble us of VVS Laxman, he has been in and out of the Indian squad multiple times.

Throughout his career, he established himself as a Test batsman who is capable of delivering decent innings. For a batsman who had got an entry into the Test team as a replacement for Gautam Gambhir, he has served fairly well. But after the poor performance in England this year, does he still has that fire?

Things weren't that easy for him in England

Things went rough for him in England. Though he was expected to perform a compelling part, he ended up performing pretty bad as he scored 26 runs from four innings which also includes two ducks in the second Test. After his poor run of scores in the first two Test matches, he saw himself going down to the narrow end of the road after getting dropped from the squad for the next matches.

He was removed from the squad after the first two matches

When the series was about to begin, he was considered as the No.1 opener in the Indian Test squad. His last outing in England four years back showcased how worthy of a player he is as he had smashed a massive 402 runs from 5 matches with a decent average of 40.20.

Perhaps expectations were set high for him this year. Almost every batsman in the history of the game has gone out of form sometimes. But is it really the end of Murali Vijay? I guess not.

Will Murali Vijay be a game changer?

After the 1-3 Test series defeat against England this year, India are eagerly looking forward to the Test series against Australia. Though the domestic tournament and the Indian Premier League had established Murali Vijay as an excellent batsman, India needs him to deliver commendably in the upcoming Test series.

The batsman has a decent IPL record.

Often considered to be a patient and mature player, cricket fans are counting on him this year-end as India take on Australia. The 37-year-old right-handed batsman is all prepared to charge and ready to keep the critics at bay.

Why India is counting on Murali Vijay?

Cricket enthusiasts are very well aware of Murali Vijay’s talent. Though his last outing in England didn’t go as planned, experts believe he still has the ability to deliver to the fullest of his potential.

After getting dropped, he went on to play for Essex, where he led them to their fifth victory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge (He also scored his 25th first class 100) The match-winning contribution of Vijay proves that he is still a good pick for the Indian Test side.

Though the batsman has clarified that he did not play county cricket to make a comeback to the Indian Test side, he has made it clear that he is still one of the best contenders to open for the Indian Test team.

Vijay played a match-winning innings for Essex

He also performed splendidly during India's last tour of Australia in 2014 where he emerged as the third highest run-scorer with an average of 60.25.

With Rohit Sharma also making a comeback to the test team and with the likes of players like Prithvi Shaw and Hanuma Vihari in the team, Murali Vijay has to make a decent comeback and instill his impression.

Considering his experience and style of play, Vijay is most probably one of the best batsmen Virat Kohli is going to count on in Australia.