It's now pretty clear that India Test skipper Virat Kohli likes having five bowlers at his disposal. Ever since he took over the reigns of the Test side from MS Dhoni, the swashbuckling batsman has insisted on on going in with the mindset of taking 20 wickets.
This step, however, means the six specialist batsmen cannot afford too many off days. Dhoni loved to have the cushion of the extra seventh batsman. Kohli doesn't. And India opener Murali Vijay believes it will be a good challenge for the batters to back the skipper's tactic when the Test series against Sri Lanka begins next week.
"It's actually not demanding," Vijay said in Colombo on Tuesday. "It is actually our role and if any one of us clicks, it's going to be good for the team and we are going to be in a much comfortable position on most times. So it is a good challenge.
"It is a good responsibility to have on your shoulder to go in and bat. If you are looking to dominate in a Test match, you have to perform as a team. You should have the plans and work according to them," he added.
Besides the pressure of delivering with the bat, there is a three-way battle for the two opening slots. Vijay is coming into the series on the back of a 150 against Bangladesh in the one-off Test. His partner, Shikhar Dhawan, also made an enterprising 173 in the same match. Young KL Rahul, who missed the Bangladesh tour due to dengue, is also in contention as an opener.
Vijay, however, said healthy competition is always good for a team.
"It (the competition for the opening slots) is going to add more challenge for everybody to pull up their socks and do their bit for the team. Be as consistent as possible and it's a good challenge and good thing to have in a team," he said.
Vijay showed glimpses of his positive approach in the knock against Bangladesh, and the 31-year-old wants to carry that forward in Sri Lanka.
"I think I have always been that way," Vijay said when asked of his positive approach. "It's just that the run quotient had to be a little more consistent and now with more opportunities in the team, I am really enjoying my game. I am mentally ready much more than before.
"I don't like to go too deep into anything, I like doing my stuff and if it helps the team, then I am going to do the same," he added.
With this series being the first full series as captain for Kohli, and the team going through a transition period in the longer format of the game, Vijay said the Sri Lankan sojourn is going to test the character of each individual.
"We are a close unit now and it has been two seasons that we have been playing abroad. It's going to be an exciting time as a team and for every individual because it's going to test our character and will be challenging overall," he said.
