PROMOTION TO NO. 3 WAS A SURPRISE: VIJAY

Hamilton, Feb. 10: India allrounder Vijay Shankar on Sunday said being promoted to bat at the crucial number three position came as a big surprise to him and he returns home from the maiden tour of Australia and New Zealand as a much improved cricketer.

“It was a big surprise for me when they asked me to bat at three. That is a big thing. I was focussed on playing the situation. You need to be open anyway if you are playing for a team like India,” said Shankar.

“These (Australia and New Zealand) two series I have learnt a lot. I might not have bowled a lot but I learnt to bowl in different conditions. In batting, just watching seniors like Virat, Rohit and Dhoni, how they go about their job, I learnt a lot.”

The fact that he had come to New Zealand with the India ‘A’ team in December also

helped him.