India vs England: Hanuma Vihari shows visitors' faltering veterans the mirror with a knock full of grit and gumption

What Hanuma Vihari performed on Sunday was akin to holding a mirror to many of India’s experienced top order batsmen.  The sight would have left them squirming in discomfort.

Beyond technique lies temperament. Above that is the heart of the warrior; someone who loves to get into a fight and live the moment. Vihari in his first innings in Test cricket showed that he had it in him to battle the odds.

The first day he batted, on Saturday evening with skipper and master batsman Virat Kohli reassuringly at hand, would have been relatively easy. On the second day of his innings he did not have Kohli around. Rather than cower in the face of a hostile and upbeat opponent, he showed a refreshing willingness to take them on.

[caption id=“attachment_5152271” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Hanuma Vihari scored a gritty half-century on debut to help India reduce England’s lead in the first innings. AP[/caption]

The stirring fight the experienced Ravindra Jadeja and he put up during the course of their 77-run seventh wicket partnership left India’s myriad cricket supporters ruing at what might have been if some of the more experienced batsmen had shown similar spunk.

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In terms of age and experience KL Rahul might not be as weathered as Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay or Ajinkya Rahane.  Still, a lot was expected of him. He is just 26 years of age and as such his best cricket may be ahead of him (typically batsmen are at their best between ages 27 and 30, give or take 1 or 2 years). However the atrocious stroke that led to his dismissal in the first Test virtually set the tone for his sojourn in England. Rahul could score tons of runs in the future. But in this series where he had all the opportunities to make a mark he let himself and the team down.

Vijay had the ignominy of being sent back home and that tells its own story. Dhawan and Rahane, both on the wrong side of 30, had loads of experience and should have been the sort of capable support batsmen that GR Vishwanath, Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohinder Amarnath were to master batsman Sunil Gavaskar. Even Sachin Tendulkar had Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and VVS Laxman for support. Dhawan and Rahane, if they had developed on expected lines could have been similar pillars to Kohli. But they ended up looking like novices, the odd knock notwithstanding.

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This is where the grit, gumption and conviction of young Vihari made such a difference to the image of the batting unit.

Vihari’s tour to England earlier in the season with the India A team under the watchful eyes of coach Dravid seemed to have done him a world of good. He acknowledged Dravid’s hand in his progress and said that the latter had told him he had the skill set and temperament to come good. That endorsement of his ability, coming as it did on the eve of his Test debut, must have worked wonders for his confidence. It would have also strengthened his resolve to make the opportunity count.

Much was made of a LBW shout early in his innings. Certainly fortune favours the brave as Gavaskar who was dropped umpteen times in his debut series in West Indies himself accepted in his autobiography.

Importantly Vihari did not allow the LBW faux pas to bog him down. He was in for the fight and wanted to engage in it for as long as possible. In fact when he was erroneously given out leg before an over later, he did not even wait to consult non-striker Kohli before seeking DRS.

It might have seemed fool hardy at that time but there was no mistaking the youngster’s hunger to stay in the fight and get on with it.

Indeed there was plenty to admire about Vihari’s grit. He had made pots of runs in Ranji Trophy Group C where the weakest teams were bundled together. The value of the runs was uncertain. But who can argue against triple ton, double ton and tons? Vihari registered these with a consistency that forced selectors to sit up and take notice. Of course IPL scouts have their own compulsions and the franchises preferred to ignore his claims.

Vihari though worked his way into India A teams to showed he had it in him to graduate to the next level.

The Oval debut and performance was an endorsement of youthful talent. Even though India have lost the series they have found cheer in the form of Vihari.  He has turned out as the best reason for veterans making way for youth and temperament.