Published: Aug 10, 2015, 12:26 PM (IST)
Edited: Aug 10, 2015, 12:32 PM (IST)
India Test opener Murali Vijay has been ruled out of first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle which starts on Wednesday due to hamstring strain, according to latest media reports. Vijay was unable to bat on the first day of the tour game against Sri Lanka President’s XI due to the same injury. However, he was expected to be fit for the first Test. The opener did not take field as skipper Virat Kohli sent Lokesh Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan to open the innings. The Chennai batsman holds an important position in the Test team and the numbers speak for him—he has scored runs across the world, averaging more than 44.79 in the 16 Tests he played in the last two years. READ:Virat Kohli’s trial by fire as Test captain begins with tour of Sri Lanka
Earlier, Kohli had emphasized about Vijay’s importance in the team. He said in an interview to the official website of BCCI, “In Test matches he has been a very solid opener for us, especially after the pair of Sehwag and Gambhir that we had, he is the one who has given us lot of stability at the top of the order. Everyone has a few hiccups in his career, all of us are involved in that bracket and all of us have gone through it. The best thing about him is that he is mentally very strong. Has a lot of patience, a very solid character and is very sure of himself and of his game. He has always been a very very solid opener for India,” Kohli said. READ: Shikhar Dhawan’s best chance to seal Test spot
The three Test matches will be played at Galle (August 12-16), Colombo Oval (August 20-24) and SSC Colombo (August 28-September).
