The Indian cricket team has had many remarkable Test openers over the years. Meanwhile, Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun has revealed that Ravi Shastri often considers Murli Vijay as the favorite opener in Test cricket after Sunil Gavaskar. Bharat Arun praised Murali Vijay for his character and skills, noting that the cricketer is among his favorite players.
Sunil Gavaskar is widely acknowledged as the greatest opening batsman in the history of Test cricket for India. The former opener achieved remarkable milestones throughout his illustrious international career, boasting 36 Test centuries. He was also the first player to reach 10,000 Test runs.
After Sunil Gavaskar, cricket enthusiasts often consider Virender Sehwag as the next-best Indian opener. Sehwag achieved the prestige of being the only Indian batsman to record multiple triple-centuries in Test cricket. His remarkable record comprises accumulating 8,586 runs in 104 Tests at an average close to 50, with 23 centuries credited to his name.
“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 favorite players,” the former bowling coach told Cricket.com.
Murali Vijay declared his retirement from all forms of international cricket in January of the previous year.
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The cricketer made his Test debut against Australia in 2008, predominantly playing as an opener in 100 out of 105 innings during his Test career. The veteran accumulated 3,880 runs at the top of the order, maintaining a commendable average of 39.19. His highest individual score is 167 runs.
