Opener
M Vijay has made it clear that he did not go to play county cricket in Essex to make a comeback to India's Test team. After making 20, 0, 6, 0 and 0 in the first two Tests of India's five-match series in England, Vijay was not picked in the XI for the third Test and was later dropped from the squad for the last two games. MSK Prasad, the selection panel chairman, though, picked Vijay for the four-Test series in Australia, pointing to the rich form Vijay had hit at Essex.
After being dropped from the Test squad, Vijay signed up with Essex and played three matches in the County Championship, scoring 56, 100, 85, 80 and 2. Speaking to reporters during Tamil Nadu's first-round match last week in the Ranji Trophy, Vijay said he hadn't tinkered with his technique either.
"More importantly, I should keep faith in myself," Vijay said when asked if the team management's show of faith in taking him to Australia was a confidence booster. "I never went to county cricket to get back in the team. I just went to play some cricket, and I thought it was the ideal time for me to go and explore county. It happened that I could perform and give myself a chance."