With a nerveless century in Mumbai, Murali Vijay again proved why he's India's man for a crisis

About 35 minutes had passed since KL Rahul and M Vijay had started India’s innings. The first eight overs had been sedate. The hosts had scored at less than three runs an over.

The crowd had grown impatient. They wanted their team to announce its intent. They longed for their batsmen to lead the charge. They got behind Vijay, the more senior of the two openers – they chanted “Vijay!, Vijay!” in sync with the dhols in the stands.

Vijay had survived the initial burst from England’s pacers for the first time in five innings. Moeen Ali had bowled the previous over; it was now time for Adil Rashid – England’s most successful bowler on tour.

The 10 English wickets fell to the spin from the Indian camp. It was evident that the pitch, which had already begun to offer turn, could be a playground for the spinners. To add to it, Vijay – the crowd’s momentary favourite – had to now deal with the leg spin of Rashid, who has troubled him in this series, even dismissed him twice in Rajkot.

In the first Test, Rashid had Vijay caught at forward short-leg on both the occasions. The Indian opener looked in no trouble in the first innings, with having gone past the century mark. But, the England leggie’s googly got him to play straight into the hands of Haseeb Hameed at forward short-leg. In the second dash, it was Rashid again who found the Indian opener’s edge.

Fighting fire with fire

Post those dismissals, Vijay failed to make an impact in the series. Rashid clearly held the psychological edge when he was asked to come on to bowl in the ninth over by Alastair Cook. But, this time, Vijay was determined to reverse the momentum.

The battle between the two was set to resume. Vijay adjusted his helmet and shrugged his shoulder in customary style and took guard. He looked up to see Rashid toss the ball from one hand to another, like the way leg spinners usually do. There was a confident smile on Rashid’s face, but to counter it there was determination in Vijay’s eyes. It set the crowd up for an intense battle.

It was hardly a surprise that Rashid’s first delivery to Vijay was a wrong ‘un, the reason behind his downfalls in Rajkot. But in Mumbai there was a ploy – formed presumably from discussions with India coach Anil Kumble, a leg-spinning legend himself – which Vijay had carved to master Rashid. On Friday at the Wankhede Stadium, it came to the fore.

What glared through was Vijay’s intent to unsettle Rashid from the word go. Even in his first over, he attempted full-blooded shots, which may not have fetched runs but was in contrast to the start he had had.

Vijay drove, cut and slapped deliveries from Rashid in the first over. They did not fetch him runs, but they allowed him to signal his desire.

Soon, Rahul fell to an Ali delivery that spun back sharply. The dismissal further highlighted the impact spin was likely to have on the rest of the game.

Another couple of Rashid overs later, Vijay attempted to launch a more fierce attack. He took the aerial route in a bid to clear long on. He could only just clear mid-off instead, but again, the message was delivered.

How Vijay banished the Rashid demons

But, then Rashid hit back. He looped a delivery that spun past the outside edge of Vijay’s outstretched bat. The Indian batsman looked at the point on the wicket where the ball had pitched and appeared to talk to himself. It reminded Vijay that complacency was not an option.

England’s 400 was a formidable first innings total. Vijay realised the importance of his contribution at the top if India were to challenge it. His coming to the pitch off almost every delivery was evidence of his realisation.

In the next Rashid over, Vijay attempted the same aerial shot again. It still was not timed perfectly, but it was better. It cleared mid off and rolled over the rope. Two balls later, Vijay found the result he was in search of. He lofted Rashid over long on for six. The over, and the display of Vijay’s hold over Rashid in it, meant Cook takes his leg-spinner out of the attack.

When Rashid returned, he did so from the opposite end. His second delivery to Vijay was a beauty, which drifted towards leg before it turned, beats the bat and headed towards first slip. The visitors appealed, but Vijay survived.

The next delivery, Vijay drove another tossed up delivery with the confidence that the previous delivery’s close shave had never happened.

Rashid had not been allowed to settle and Vijay reduced the risks and tightened his game from thereon. After all, it was imperative too that India ended the day without any further damage.

The poise with which Vijay would see off the inviting leg-breaks and the dangerous wrong ‘uns played on Rashid’s mind. He offered loose deliveries, like the full toss outside off that the Tamil Nadu batsman drove over cover to the fence.

There was another googly that Vijay missed. But Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps missed the ball and the ball missed the stumps too. Once again, Vijay survived.

By now, the anchor had been firmly placed by Vijay and Cheteshwar Pujara. Only the loose deliveries were dispatched to the boundary. The rest were blocked, left alone or played with minimum risk.

At close of play, Pujara was still there with Vijay. Vijay had survived the early jitters and Rashid. It was, after all, the improved Vijay on display. In the past he was known to throw away starts, often by poking outside off to pacers. Not anymore.

Vijay’s solid game combined with Pujara’s supporting act laid India the platform from which they went on to overhaul England’s first innings total on Day 3. The 32-year-old completed his eighth Test hundred. It is not a straightforward pitch to bat on, but thanks to Vijay’s grit, India managed to match England blow for blow.