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| Edited By: G Krishnan |Source: DNA |Updated: Nov 14, 2017, 08:00 AM IST
It is good and has come at the right time. I have been working towards it. I was looking for match practice and this was a perfect thing that I really wanted to, and it came my way.
I went through that period like those who go through an injury, and wait for the day to play the game. Obviously, now I am fit and ready to go. I'm looking forward to better myself as a cricketer. Those things are exciting for me than just the opportunities and what I am going to do. I am thinking what I can do to the best of my ability when I join the Indian team, and how I can contribute to its victories.
I had been to Sri Lanka in 2010. That time I was fit and performed there. It (injury) is just timing. I don't relate too much of these things. I am a person who believes if you are injured, you are injured. Against who you play is irrelevant. I am not thinking about my injury at the moment. I am thinking of how to perform and am channelising my energy to finding ways of how to be at my best.
Passing the day was very difficult for me. How much ever you occupy yourself, the thought of coming back into the team, the doubts about your fitness cross anybody's mind because you are human. I found out a way. My family and friends backed me a lot in this phase, where I could give more time to my kids and see them grow and spend time with my wife. It was a totally different ballgame for me. Though it was difficult, I ensured that I was not thinking too much about my cricket and was giving 100 per cent to my family and rehabilitation towards getting back to a fitter Vijay.
Definitely. I could not pick my bat for at least a couple of months. I was with myself. I travelled around, saw new things. In the back of the head, it kept haunting 'when are you going to get back to things that you really love'. But I channelised things that were even more important than my injury. I learnt a lot, as always. I believe everybody can only learn. There is nothing right or wrong, and one can only get better and go higher.
Everything is a challenge from now on for us (Indian team). Home series or away does not matter because we have created a reputation with the brand of cricket we are playing at the moment. It is our responsibility to maintain it over a sustained period of time, to prove ourselves that we are a dominating unit at any given condition. That is the mindset of each and every player, and it is phenomenal and is showing in all the three formats of the game. Whoever is getting a chance knows exactly what to do and what the team requires. Those are the things that are really exciting for Team India. We are really looking forward to the season and hopefully we can perform consistently or better than what we have been doing for a couple of seasons now.
I personally feel we all live in our memories. Obviously, that will be giving you a great boost in general life. Sport is something you have to think exactly the opposite, where you should not be thinking or falling back on your past. It is about now and what you are going to do from now till the match day. These things can give you a good feel when you are off cricket. But, when you are in a series, you should not think about what you did in the past. It is not going to help you at all. I am not going to think about it. I had a lot of think to myself and people kept asking me 'when are you going to play again?'. Those questions were very very tough to answer. In those three months, I have been more calmer and a more clearer person.
After a point, I got numb. I really could not answer the question as I myself did not know when I was going to pick up the bat again. Whenever I tried, it was not coming my way. I really fought hard to push through the pace and believed in myself saying that 'I will get back my whole grip', which was a phenomenal process for me.
Everybody is in that frame of mind now in the Indian team as well as the 'A' teams. You can see that in the brand of cricket we are playing. It is just about sharing knowledge and enjoying each other's success. Those are the small things that have been repeatedly told and are maintained over a period of time to gel as a unit and go and perform at important times. At crunch moments, these things will come big time, knowing each other's game and knowing each other off the field as well, because you can share knowledge. Pujara and I have a great rapport off the field. So is the case with Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and everybody else. We are of the same age group and understand each other well, which is very very important when you go on tough tours or even at home. That is what we have been doing and it has been clicking so far.
It is fantastic to represent India and I know that feeling. I know how difficult it is to keep your form for a long sustainable time. Whoever gets the chance, I wish him luck. If I get a chance, I will be in the same mode, put my best foot forward and give a good start to my team and carry on from there. It is not about who is playing at the moment. It is about how well we play together.
To be honest, I am really excited rather than being prepared. I have been there once (in South Africa and I have done decently well. Obviously, I am having the sense of excitement and getting closer to that, I am feeling happy and nice. It is good for me as I am getting back to cricket, and I am getting this feeling which is very very good for me. I am going to rub this feeling onto the others and give my contribution to the Indian team.
I personally thought our batsmen played really well rather than thinking about the quality of the opposition bowling. The batsmen really applied themselves. They were in some tough situations in the Test matches and somebody put his hand up and strung a big partnership and put the opposition on the backfoot. It was a phenomenal to watch. They did consistently in the three Test matches. Those are the things which are inspiring, nice to watch. I am not one to analyse the opponents too much. The way we play matters in any condition or against any opponent, we have got to find a solution. The Indian team played really well in Sri Lanka. Any international team is very good and wherever you play, it is difficult to score runs. It is not that easy. Obviously, we have got to take credit and pat ourselves on our back saying 'our batting unit is in top form'. That is more important and more exciting.
At the moment, I like our entire top five. They are different characters, their batting quality is high. Batting together in partnerships, the way they approach each game, everybody has his own skill set. I admire our top five. I also like AB de Villiers the way he approaches the game. Quinton de Kock and obviously, Hashim Amla. I have always been great Yuvraj Singh fan. When I started playing cricket, he was 22 or 23. I was always fascinated by his talent, the way he strikes the ball. I am still a Yuvi admirer and will always be for the way he really plays his game.
I have been setting targets and have been getting injured. I don't want to reveal the targets and getting injured again. It'd again be a pain not to go and achieve it. I am better off in a mode where anything and everything is possible for me at the moment. But, something special is round the corner.
