"Staying away from Indian team and coming to fight to get back is a different challenge" - Hanuma Vihari 

Gritty batter Hanuma Vihari, who was once a regular feature in the Indian Test side, is currently grinding it out for Andhra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. His last appearance for the national side came during the rescheduled fifth Test against England in July 2022 at Edgbaston, where he batted at No. 3.

In 28 Test innings to date, Vihari has scored 839 runs at an average of 33.56. Despite Ajinkya Rahane's exclusion from the team, the right-handed batter has not been able to cash in on the vacant No. 5 position.

The manner with which Shreyas Iyer has adapted straightaway has made it difficult for Vihari to break into the playing XI.

Admitting that he is looking forward to the challenges, with the ongoing Ranji Trophy being among them, Vihari said in an interview with News 18's Cricket Next:

"Even grinding in the Ranji Trophy, not an experience I am not used to, but staying away from Indian team and coming to fight to get back is a different challenge. I am always looking forward to challenges."

He continued:

“Those are the challenges you love to take on. Once you play any sport, you face different challenges. As a sportsman, that is up to you if you want to face the challenge or run away for it. I like to face them head on and do my best in those situations. Every day in sports is a different learning."

Following his heroics with the bat in the third Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Sydney back in 2021 when he battled a major hamstring injury to bat out an entire session to help India draw the game, Vihari had to wait almost a year to make his next Test appearance.

He missed the home and away series against England as well as the final of the World Test Championship (WTC).

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"There has been communication to be fair" - Hanuma Vihari on the team management playing their part

India have a plethora of middle-order options even in red-ball cricket. Despite Shreyas Iyer's imperious touch of late, the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Sarfaraz Khan have been knocking at the door, among other names.

While it remains to be seen where Hanuma Vihari is in the pecking order at the moment, the management is keeping tabs on his performance.

Noting that there has been consistent communication from the management during his time away from the Indian team, he said:

“There has been communication (by the Indian team) to be fair. I am really focussing on domestic cricket and improving my game, which is in my control. I just want to improve my game, and batting. I will keep improving my game and whatever is written will happen."

The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy on home soil proves to be a crucial avenue for Vihari to possibly execute a comeback and make a case for himself.

Will the domestic stalwart be included in the squad for the Test series against Australia? Let us know what you think.

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