India vs Australia: Hanuma Vihari discloses his batting strategy adopted in the injury-marred third Test in Sydney

India vs Australia: Hanuma Vihari discloses his batting strategy adopted in the injury-marred third Test in Sydney

Hanuma Vihari

Hanuma Vihari while batting in a match

No doubt, the third Test in Sydney garnered quite a significant attention after the heroics from Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin. The match drew, which earlier seemed to be in India’s win till Rishabh Pant was on the pitch. After Pant was dismissed on 97, back injury inflicted Ashwin and hamstring injury sufferer Vihari consolidated in the last session.

Speaking to Sports Today, Vihari explained how he was able to battle pain and play remarkable innings along with Ashwin.

“So, when I went into bat, Pujara was batting well and we went for a quick single. Everybody saw that I snapped my hamstring but I knew immediately, I couldn’t run. I told the physio ‘see I don’t think it’s a spasm or a cramp’. I could feel the hamstring core. So, he said ‘okay, I will stretch you a little and give you a tablet and you see how it goes’. Then I took a tablet and faced the first ball against Nathan Lyon, I was in pain. I told Pujara ‘see I don’t think I can run or I don’t feel like I can bat as well’. He said ‘just hang around and see how you feel in the next couple of balls’,”Vihari said.

“So I played that over and called the physio again. I said ‘I don’t think I can run or maybe bat, I didn’t believe I could do it’. He said he would tape it around and asked me see I could do it. Unfortunately in the next two overs, Pujara got out. So I had no choice left because next was Ash (Ashwin) coming and Jadeja was injured.”

‘They gave me pain-killer injection during Tea break,’ says Vihari

“I told myself that I have 20 minutes to Tea and I will just bat it out and then see what happens. Then I did that, I went into the dressing room. They gave me a pain-killer injection.”

“Then a few of the support staff came and told me ‘you owe the team for the belief they have shown in you’. Obviously, in the first 2 games, I didn’t do anything big. But it was time for me to give it back to the team in some sorts.”

How Ashwin and Vihari countered Nathan Lyon

“I had clarity. Even Ash helped me. He said that would take it 1 over at a time. ‘Let’s take it as deep as possible and see where it goes’. Pain was there when I was batting but my only goal was to bat 6 balls and take a break for 6 balls.”

“I told Ash that I was not able to stretch out for Nathan Lyon. I told him ‘you play Nathan Lyon, then I will play the fast bowlers’. I was batting 6 balls, he was really composed and he was able to see off Lyon.”

“We took it one over at a time and we made the impossible possible, I guess. That’s how I batted through pain for 4 hours,” he added.

The duo’s impeccable resilient stand saw India finish the final day at 334 for five and the match was drawn. Vihari hit 23 runs but batted 161 balls as India drew the Sydney Test.

Also read: India vs Australia: Assessing top Indian performers in the Border-Gavaskar 2020-21 series