New Delhi: It is tough when one among three in-form players has to sit out but senior India opener Murali Vijay is relieved that his ‘off-the-field friendship” with KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan has helped him deal with sensitive selection matters with ease.
With one among Dhawan, Vijay and Rahul set to be dropped from playing XI, the Tamil Nadu opener was asked about how does the troika deals with the situation.
“We three are very good friends off the field and that makes it much easier. Definitely, it unsettles (when one is dropped). Obviously, we three share a good rapport outside the field and this will help us big time during the (South Africa) series as well as the future,” Vijay said at the pre-match media conference.
So when one among the three is dropped, how do they deal with such a situation? Vijay said: “Make it easier, lighter and more fun (for the other). We talk about it openly, we don’t hide our feelings. That makes it easier for who has been kept out.
The 33-year-old said whenever he and Dhawan have faced such a situation, they thrashed it out and moved on. “It’s better off going in the open. Like whatever I feel or Shikhar feels, we put it out in the open. Basically, we are fun-loving people and we do things together. We have good times outside the field, which helps us as a team,” informed Vijay.
Vijay in his mind has already started preparing for the South Africa tour and is training with tennis balls which has more bounce. He also informed that with Tamil Nadu out of Ranji Trophy, he will focus focus on fitness and skill development in the next three weeks before leaving for South Africa.
Vijay rated the Feroz Shah Kotla track as ‘good’ and hoped that it would be a good experience to play on a track that had grass covering.
Press Trust of India