Vijay and Rahane have made a strong impression

The two have scored runs employing the right methods

The two have been India’s most consistent batsmen in two difficult overseas series, in different conditions.

Both in England and down under, Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane have made runs, and done so with the right methods.

They are low-key individuals, don’t talk much, and there are times when their performances can get buried in a mountain of needlessly provocative words of the headline-grabbing kind spoken in a series.

The 30-year-old Vijay’s 144 on the first day at the ’Gabba has to be the finest innings played by an Indian in this series so far if making runs against speed, bounce and seam movement are the yardsticks.

Opening the innings, particularly against the Kookaburra ball that does a lot early on in these conditions, can be very demanding.

The ’Gabba was the quickest surface of the series, there was definite lift and deviation on day one and the combination of these elements have often proved too much for Indian batsmen on overseas campaigns.

Impeccable judgement

His judgment on or around off-stump impeccable, Vijay wore the pacemen down on a hot day. So much so that in the last session, the Australian pace-attack was rocked by fitness issues.

Yet, it was Vijay who had brought them to this pass by an exceptional performance — by a sub-continental batsman — in the first two sessions when Mitchell Johnson & Co. kept coming at him.

Vijay’s straight backswing is his strength; his back and across movement is smooth too.

It made a wonderful sight to see him get on top of the bounce with a high left elbow and keep down the lifting deliveries with soft hands.

The right-handed opener’s footwork has been good; he has been moving right back either to defend or open up scoring opportunities.

When a batsman goes on to his back-foot with ideal transfer of weight on a track such as the one at the ’Gabba, he is not just in a great position to defend but also opens up avenues to score in a 360 degree arc.

Forceful strokes

Vijay’s 22 boundaries in that innings included some forceful strokes off the back foot and a few delicate ones behind the stumps.

He has been picking the length quickly and getting his body and willow behind the line for defence and offence.

When the ball has been pitched up, his cover-drives have pierced the field. When the pacemen have erred in line, he has been ruthless with his flicks.

Vijay has been patient and then cashed in as the bowler made mistakes.

He has 402 runs in three Tests of the ongoing series at 67.00. In the five Tests in England, he averaged 40.20 from five Tests.

And Vijay’s numbers are improving in Tests; he has 2108 runs in 30 matches at 39.77.

Confidently ‘leaving’ the ball is what has turned Vijay’s career around.

Earlier, he had a tendency to hang his bat; now he lets the sphere go or plays it close to his body.

Light feet

Lightness of foot is Rahane’s strength. He is a prime example of being someone who can be compact at the crease yet hurt the opposition with shots of precision.

Rahane had handled the short-pitched stuff capably at ’Gabba too when he made a stroke-filled 82. He is not short on belief.

If Vijay has largely swayed out of the line or defended the short-pitched deliveries, Rahane had responded with pull strokes.

Rahane, too, has left deliveries outside off, but has unleashed the cut shots when he has wanted to.

For a sub-continental batsman, his horizontal bat shots have been laudable.

Creditably, he is able to keep the ball down while pulling; pivoting well and then rolling his wrists over the sphere.

The 26-year-old batsman from Mumbai is also a sweet timer of the ball and his back-foot punches have sped to the fence.

Rahane’s 103 in the Lord’s Test last year was an innings where fine judgment blended with strokeplay.

In this series, he has 348 runs at 58.00.

Like Vijay, Rahane has been rotating the strike capably. The fact that he began his career as an opener is perhaps enabling Rahane cope with the bounce better.

Both Vijay and Rahane have made a strong impression here down under.