The secret is out, a new Murali Vijay is born! This is not quite the same orthodox, easy, purist's delight, but fit-for-the-longer-version Vijay we knew. With every match, he is just growing in confidence and starting to display his wide array of strokes, which were hitherto reserved for more onorthodox kind of batsmen. That he is doing it with a straight bat most of the time, has added to the joy of watching him play. He is able to clear his front leg and cart the bowlers effortlessly out of the park. If you were amazed by the 37-ball 100 by Yusuf Pathan, now comes this 56-ball 127 from Murali Vijay.
Both are completely different players. I must admit that, hitherto, I was not a great advocate of players like Vijay or VVS Laxman in this format of cricket. I always believed Vijay is a very talented guy, but more suited for test matches. Yusuf, on the other hand is a player whose strength is to clear the ropes everytime he sights a ball in his half. So, I was as much amazed by this knock from Vijay, as I would be if I get to watch Yusuf score a hundred in a test match in England against frightful lateral seam movement.
Vijay did it in an earler match, and to make a points to critics like me, repeated it with a hundred to show that the earlier knock was no flash in the pan. Added to that, Albie Morkel scored a 34-ball 62, and CSK were off to the highest IPL total of 246 for 5.
On a perfect batting track, the Rajastan Royals were not to be left too far behind. Even though they lost the match, they had managed to score 223 for 5 in their alloted 20 overs. Naman Ojha, the man in form had scored 94 not out in 55 balls, Watson. playing his first IPL match this season amassed 60 of just 25 balls. Yusuf's failure were a big blow to the RR, else they could even have overhauled this mammoth total.
The CSK are slowly clawing their way back, beware!
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