“I couldn’t play certain shots and when I went out to bat, I had to grind it out”
Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo
India opener Murali Vijay has revealed that he played with a “fractured wrist” during a portion of the national team’s home season.
As a result of the injury, Vijay was ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) as he travelled to the United Kingdom in order to undergo surgery.
“I don’t want to get too much into the status of the injury but I was playing with a fractured wrist,” Vijay, who returned to Chennai on April 16, told the New Indian Express. “It was a difficult situation to be in, but the team always comes first … I was not able to bat freely because, as the injury aggravated, I couldn’t play certain shots and when I went out to bat, I had to grind it out.
“Especially against pacers, it was difficult at times to even defend off the front foot because it was my bottom hand that was injured.”
Despite the injury, Vijay only missed one of India’s 13 Tests at home, which was the second Test against Australia in Bangalore in March.
Furthermore, he finished as the third-highest run-scorer behind batsman Cheteshwar Pujara and captain Virat Kohli, making 771 runs at an average of 36.71.
While playing through the injury, Vijay conceded that he was advised not to put any power into the shots he played.
“I was told not to use any power while batting, so that was something I had to keep in mind while facing spinners,” he said. “As a batsman, when you can’t play certain shots, it affects your momentum and it was frustrating, but I saw it as a challenge because nothing comes easy and I learned a lot.
“My body language might not tell you a real story all the time. I was in pain and it is not in my personality to show what I’m going through and gain sympathy. At the end of the day, I’m the one going through that and need to handle it on my own.”
With the 33-year-old back home and undergoing rehabilitation, he pointed out that he could start holding a bat properly in the next month or two.
“I have already started my rehabilitation and hopefully, in a month or two, I should be able to pick up the bat again,” he said.