Ahead of the much-awaited Test series in Australia, former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha has made an honest observation about India’s Test specialist batsman Hanuma Vihari, saying he must perform consistently in the upcoming series to keep his place in the Indian cricket team.
Vihari has featured in 9 Tests for India and scored 552 runs at an average of over 36 since making his debut in England in 2018.
However, the 27-year-old doesn’t feature in the limited-overs cricket and Indian Premier League, resulting in the batsman not getting as much attention as some of his contemporaries and Ojha said this is a disadvantage for the cricketer in his nascent career.
He further went on to compare Vihara’s situation to that of VVS Laxman during the nascent stages of the legendary batsman’s career since the Hyderabad cricketer had to perform consistently to retain his place in the Team India being not a regular part of the white-ball cricket.
Former spinner further noted that the upcoming four-match Test series is very crucial for Hanuma and he must consistently perform to retain his palace in the highly-competitive national squad.
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Ojha told Sports Today: “Hanuma Vihari, this boy doesn't feature in IPL, doesn't feature in limited-overs for the national side. Being a Test specialist at the starting point of his career has both advantages and disadvantages. If you perform in Test cricket, especially abroad you earn respect.”
He further explained, “But on the flip side, your name is not circulating in that zone, a lot of people keep discussing the likes of Rishabh Pant, Ishan Kishan or Suryakumar Yadav because they are performing on a platform where a lot of people are watching. It's the truth. I feel this series is very important for Vihari. India will not have Virat Kohli, those are big shoes to be filled.
Vihari got a brilliant hundred (pink-ball warm-up). But it is not going to be easy, especially in the pink-ball Test. He has to perform consistently well to survive there. He is someone like VVS Laxman, I would say. Every game Laxman played used to be p[ay was a very important game for himself because he was a Test specialist.
He has to consistently perform to be in the reckoning because he is not a regular in the limited-overs format. It's become important for him to deliver in every game he plays.”
Ojha signed off by saying, “At home conditions, it becomes difficult for him to play because India plays an extra spinner. And if Hardik Pandya starts bowling, he straightaway walks in. It's a very thankless job.
A young boy like Hanuma Vihari, if he is getting runs he will be picked, but if he doesn't get runs or the team doesn't do well, the first one who will be on the line will be Hanuma Vihari.”
(With India Today Inputs)
