Arun also revealed that it was Shastri, who recommended the batter to another first-division team after he saw him at a very young age.
The Indian team, over the years, has been blessed with a strong batting lineup, dominated by some incredible openers. While Sunil Gavaskar boasts of impeccable stats at the top of the order, someone like a Virender Sehwag is known for his explosive batting style or a Rohit Sharma, who is dubbed as one of the best openers of his generation.
While the debate is a little difficult to settle, former India player and coach Ravi Shastri had an interesting choice for it.
Ex-India bowling coach Bharat Arun, in an interaction with Cricket.com, opened up on how Ravi Shastri often says that Murali Vijay is the best Test opener India has had since Sunil Gavaskar.
Arun also revealed that it was Shasti himself who recommended Vijay to another first-division team after he saw him at a very young age and that the former CSK star is one of his favourite players.
Arun said, “If you want me to name a batter whom I knew from a very young age, Murali Vijay was someone whom I saw in college. I recommended him to another First-Division team. That’s when the journey started. Ravi [Shastri] often says that Murali Vijay is the best Test opener India had after Sunil Gavaskar. And that’s a huge compliment today. So I can say that my interactions with him [Vijay] have been outstanding and he is one of my favourite players.”
Murali Vijay represented India in 61 Test matches, amassing a total of 3982 runs, which stands as the fourth-highest tally for an Indian opener. Across his career, he showcased remarkable prowess by notching up 12 centuries, with his highest individual score being 167 runs. His last appearance in a Test match dates back to 2015, in a series against Zimbabwe.
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