NEWS
Follow UsIndia batsman Hanuma Vihari says that he is willing to open the innings for his country if asked. Vihari has previously opened for India during the 2018-10 tour of Australia in Melbourne, managing to score just 21 runs from two innings. Speaking of the upcoming tour of England, the Andhra batsman said that he will not shy away from opening the batting again.
"I will do anything the team asks of me," said the man who batted for three and half hours with a torn hamstring to save the Sydney Test against Australia earlier this year.
"I batted top of the order most of my career so I'm familiar to the challenge," added Vihari.
However, Vihari, who is currently playing for Warwickshire in the County Championship was happy that Washington Sundar had done well in his absence.
"I am happy that he (Washington) did well but I would like to focus on my own game and try to control the controllables," said the soft-spoken man.
But what about rolling his arms over more to give that balance to the side, he replied: "I am working on my off-breaks." Vihari was contracted to play three games for Warwickshire and his best show has been scores of 32 and 52 against Essex at Edgbaston, with Alastair Cook in the opposition ranks.
"It's been challenging as it's early part of the season but I have gained good experience. Getting used to the climate and pitches here is the idea. Hope it helps during the WTC final against New Zealand and the series against England," he said.
Having enjoyed a successful A tour of UK back in 2018 followed by a half-century on Test debut at the Oval, Vihari loves playing in England and the challenges that one faces while countering seam and swing. "It's a good place to play cricket. So I would enjoy the challenge," he said.
Vihari is still in Birmingham where he is doing his daily routines and one thing that he is getting used to is the cold and damp conditions of early English summer. "It is tough in this cold but again it's a different experience. Yes, I am still training in Birmingham," he added.
Never imagined getting hospital bed would be so difficult
Vihari is using his social media account and with hundreds of volunteers on a WhatsApp group, he is helping his country cope with the second wave of Covid-19 by arranging oxygen cylinders and hospital beds.
"I don't want to glorify myself. I am doing it with the intention of helping people at the ground level, who actually need every help possible in these difficult times. It is just the start," the 27-year-old told PTI.
"With the second wave being so strong, getting a bed became a difficulty and that is something which is unthinkable. So, I decided to use my followers as my volunteers and help as many people as I can," Vihari, who has more than 110,000 followers, said.
"My goal is to actually mainly reach out to those people who are not able to afford or arrange for plasma, beds and essential medicine. But this is not enough. I would like to do more service in the future," said the man, who has 624 runs in 11 Tests.
Vihari who is already in England will join Team India ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final on June 3.
(With inputs from PTI)