India opener Murali Vijay doesn't mince words. Ask him about his return to ODI squad and pat comes the reply — "After two seasons". He last played an ODI in July 2013.
From being one of India's best batsman in Tests to missing out on a berth in squad for the 2014 World Cup, Vijay has seen quite a few ups and downs and is eager to put up a good show. The Zimbabwe tour, that begins on Friday, is an opportunity for the stylish batsman to establish himself in shorter versions.
"It's a great opportunity for me as I always wanted to play all the three formats. I am not looking too far ahead. I'm looking at just this series and hopefully, put up a good show," he says.
Considering his success in Tests and T20, Vijay has a somewhat disappointing record in the ODIs. In 14 games, he has 253 runs at an average of 19.46 without a single century or a half-century.
"To be honest, I got my chances but was not getting to be a part of a full series. I would get a one-off match or two-three ODIs. It's very difficult as a batsman, if you don't get a fixed role in any format, it's very difficult to prove yourself.
"If you get going, it's a different issue. If you don't, then questions arise and people just put you off but they don't really see the fact that you have not played enough. I have been a part of the Indian team for seven years, but have played only 14 ODIs. I am not cribbing about it. That's how my life is and I think I had to wait for it and now that I have got the opportunity, I can do justice to my talent."
So why isn't someone who does so well in T20s and Tests not able to flourish in 50-over games?
"I love to play ODIs. When I started my career with the state team, I was considered more of a one-day player. That time T20 did not exist, so 50-over format was my cup of tea. Later on, I wanted to play Tests badly. So once I got the traditional thing into me, I always wanted to play the toughest format. But then I had to compete with two great players (Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir), which was not easy.
"One thing I missed out a lot on were domestic one-day games as I was always the third opener in the Test side," he says.
Vijay wants to make it to the team for the next year's World T20. "Definitely. As I told you, I am not saying I will be there but I will push my case much more because that is what I want to do. Whatever the format, I like to perform and score runs for my team," he says.
