Vijay’s key role in Indian assault

OPENER Murali Vijay has declared he has no fear of Australian conditions as he looks set to play a key role in India’s bid to finally break its Test hoodoo Down Under.

Vijay is tipped to start at the top of the order in place of the injured Prithvi Shaw in the first Test in Adelaide starting on Thursday after all but ensuring his recall with a blistering century in India’s tour match with a Cricket Australia XI.

The right-hander was dropped after this year’s second Test against England at Lord’s after going for a pair.

And while the loss of teen sensation Shaw is a big blow for the tourists, Vijay was brimming with confidence after stroking 21 boundaries in a 132-ball 129 at the SCG on Saturday.

Importantly, he also got valuable time at the crease with potential opening partner KL Rahul (62).

“Rahul is a guy who comes from the same region as mine, so we understand each other really well,” Vijay said.

“He’s a good guy to bat with and hopefully we can carry that momentum forward in the series.”

The pair have batted 25 times together at Test level and Vijay scored 53 and 99 four years ago in Adelaide, a venue he says he likes.

“It suits me because I’m a batsman who likes to play off the back foot,” he said.

Though the Indians have never travelled well Down Under, the 34-year-old bucks the trend of his teammates and is a proven performer on Australian pitches. He averages 60.25 in Australia compared with his Test average of 39.33. In his four Tests here, all of which came in 2014-15, he piled on 482 runs in eight innings.