M Vijay may have downplayed his contribution as a captain, but his tactical inputs and backing of bowlers who had let the team down previously shone through in Kings XI Punjab’s win over Gujarat Lions
Arun Venugopal in Rajkot01-May-20161:54
Have always backed Miller – Vijay
M Vijay has got swag, or at least that is the impression he gives. With the collar perennially up, he much less walks than sashays and signs off with a curious amalgam of the traditional with the funky – “”. There is also a hint of paradox in how, unlike other ‘cool dudes’, he barely registers his presence on social media.Vijay’s image as a batsman, though, is unambiguous – a traditionalist, sweet timer of the ball and a hardened Test opener. Vijay the captain, on the other hand, is relatively unknown, given the limited sample of 13 matches that he has led his state side Tamil Nadu in (“I wasn’t available, bro” [because of international commitments]). He isn’t even a regular captain for his club side, Jolly Rovers, in Chennai’s First-Division league for possibly the same reason.Vijay’s elevation at Kings XI Punjab, however, was a result of their disastrous campaign – they lost five of their first six matches. His first assignment was against the table toppers, Gujarat Lions. Vijay lost the toss but, along with Marcus Stoinis, motored away to 59 in the Powerplay. He then watched four wickets fall in three overs. On a ground where 180-plus totals have been gunned down, a score of 154, despite his half-century, was under par.Vijay opened the bowling with the two Sharmas – Sandeep and Mohit – and despite Mohit dismissing Brendon McCullum, he was replaced by Axar Patel immediately. Mohit was brought back from the other end in the fifth over, and was helped over fine leg for six by Suresh Raina. Vijay pointed to his waist and suggested that Mohit aim there should he try the short ball. Mohit reverted to a good length, and Raina was bowled two balls later.By the end of the Powerplay, Vijay had used five bowlers. In fact, no bowler – save for KC Cariappa in the sixth and eighth overs – bowled two overs in succession, possibly disrupting the batsmen’s rhythm. Vijay explained it wasn’t a tactic used for the sake of it. “You cannot just try to go and do something out of the box,” he said. “We need to manipulate what resources we have and get the best performance with them rather than telling we can all go and bowl four overs and get two wickets [each].”But it was Axar’s re-introduction in the seventh over that decisively scuppered Lions, as he dismissed Dwayne Smith, Dinesh Karthik and Dwayne Bravo to take the season’s first hat-trick, although across two overs. Vijay, though, didn’t allow the rush of success to alter his plans. Despite the spin strangulation, he replaced Axar with Sandeep in the ninth over to rough up the new batsman, Ishan Kishan.He frequently received, and took on board, advice from Glenn Maxwell and David Miller – the man he replaced as captain. With the ground’s dimensions – especially with the long side boundaries – resembling the one in Mohali, Vijay was aware of the field he wanted and patiently discussed it with his bowlers.Even when James Faulkner was proving to be a worry with his late strikes, Vijay remained unruffled. He even calmed down Stoinis, who lost his rag after Maxwell misfielded one at the boundary off his bowling in the 18th over, and applauded Maxwell’s diving effort. When the game was finally secured, Miller was among the first few team-mates to run up to Vijay and embrace him warmly.”It’s just that it didn’t happen when he [Miller] was doing it [captaining] and it happened now,” Vijay said, seeking to play down his contribution as captain. “He cannot be put under the pump and I cannot take credit – it’s just that as a team we really did well. You’ve to give credit to Axar Patel. [With] the pressure he’s been through in previous games to come and produce a performance like that is commendable. The break we had [five days] was good because it took us away from the game.”He said his experience as an international cricketer helped him as a captain and that it was easier to lead players who knew their stuff. “I strongly believe that anybody who plays cricket at the highest level will captain himself, so I know what’s exactly happening in the field. A lot of fielders don’t have to be told what they have to do – they just go to their respective places.”Vijay acknowledged MS Dhoni’s influence on him as captain, and it perhaps showed in how he stood at a straight-ish mid-off – a field position Dhoni has successfully used at Chennai Super Kings – for one delivery in the last over. Was it a tactic Vijay picked up from his Super Kings days? “[it could be interpreted that way too],” he said and smiled.