Vijay thrilled to close in on 50th Test

Participation in the third Test in Ranchi will get the India opener to the landmark.

Murali Vijay will be the fourth specialist Indian opener to play 50 or more Tests, once he reaches the landmark.

India opener Murali Vijay is humbled at the prospect of playing the 50th Test of his career in Ranchi. Vijay is only the fifth specialist opener after Sunil Gavaskar (125), Virender Sehwag (103), Gautam Gambhir (58) and Navjot Singh Sidhu (51) to reach that landmark, if he plays on Thursday.

“It is a great feeling to be honest. I never thought I would play so many Test matches for India,” Vijay told bcci.tv . “It has been a great journey and I would like to thank the TNCA and Chemplast - my club team - for the immense support throughout my journey so far. It has been great and I have enjoyed every bit of it. It was a great moment when I got into the team. I never thought once that I didn’t belong here,” he said, recollecting his journey with a lot of fondness.

“Every moment has been priceless. I remember everything about my matches till date - right from the time I walked into the Indian dressing room to now and each moment has been close to me. It has just pushed me to do better each time I get an opportunity to represent my country. The journey has been amazing and I can’t put it across in words. I am living my dream.”