I treat every Test as my last, says Hanuma Vihari

Agencies
September 6, 2019

New Delhi, Sept 6: Cricketers often talk about how a sense of security helps their performance but not Hanuma Vihari, who believes in treating every Test match as "his last" because it helps him be on guard against complacency.

The 25-year-old Andhra batsman emerged as the top run-getter with 291 runs in India's 2-0 series win over the West Indies and vindicated the team management's decision to have him instead of the more stylish Rohit Sharma in the playing XI.

"Obviously I am very happy that I have done well but I went into this tour with a clean slate. I decided to take one Test match at a time. For me, every Test match is my last. It helps me get into a mindset that I have nothing to lose and play accordingly," Vihari told news agency in an interview.

Recently, Virat Kohli complimented Vihari for his temperament, which the skipper feels infuses a sense of calm in the dressing room. He called Vihari the find of the West Indies tour.

"You can't ask for anything more if the change room has faith in your abilities. That is certainly the best compliment I could have got and coming from the skipper himself, it can't get better," said Vihari, who now has 456 runs in six Tests, including a hundred and three fifties.

But the calm demeanour and steely resolve hasn't come in a day or two but around seven years of toiling in the domestic arena.

"It has happened because of the years of hard work that I put in at the domestic level. Before playing for India, I had played nearly 60 first-class games.

"I have faced pressure situations at the first-class level. It prepared me for bigger challenges. Thanks to the Andhra Cricket Association and (chairman of selectors) MSK Prasad sir for giving me a chance to play for Andhra," said Vihari, whose first-class average of 60.30 after 75 games, is among the top-10 of all time.

He feels the USP of his nascent but impressive international career so far has been his ability to take up challenges head on.

"Opening the batting in Australia was more about my mindset. I wasn't a natural opener and that was the biggest challenge," said Vihari, about opening in Melbourne, where he blunted Australia's new-ball attack, allowing Cheteshwar Pujara to consolidate.

"So either I could have just sat and sulked that I am being asked to bat in an unfamiliar position or just accept the challenge and make the best use of the opportunity that I was being given. I decided on the second option" he recalled.

When most of his illustrious colleagues were playing in the World Cup, Vihari was quietly preparing for the West Indies tour doing his homework. In fact, he reached earlier, led the India A side and scored a hundred under pressure (same innings where Shubman Gill scored a double) against Windies A.

"I would say the India A series helped but there is a significant gap between A level and international cricket, just like the gap is even bigger if you take domestic cricket into account," he said.

"The pitch and conditions for the A games were very different from the Test matches. In Coolidge (Antigua), it was much easier to bat on compared to St John's. Even Sabina Park was a tricky wicket. It needed a different approach," Vihari added.

He hails from Hyderabad, but Vihari's style of batting is quite orthodox, compared to illustrious predecessors like Mohammed Azharuddin and VVS Laxman.

"I always believed in developing a compact defensive game. If your defensive technique is in place, the bowlers at international level will find it difficult to dislodge you. Just being aggressive will always give bowlers a chance," he explained.

Primarily a front-foot player during his initial days in first-class cricket, the hallmark of his game has been solid back-foot play.

"I have worked on my back-foot game which is a must in international cricket. On bouncy tracks, a good back-foot game helps," he said.

Having reached Hyderabad on Friday morning, Vihari wants to take a week's rest, before getting back to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for training in Bengaluru.

Asked if he will play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Andhra, he said: "I haven't yet checked the schedule. If the Test team is announced before the start of Hazare Trophy, I might not play as it won't make much sense playing white-ball cricket if I have to play Test matches."

Life hasn't exactly been a bed of roses for Vihari, who lost his father at the age of 12 but he is grateful for the hard lessons he learnt early on.

"I was only 12 years old and my elder sister was 14 when we lost our father. My mother Vijayalakshmi is a homemaker. Those were hard days," he remembered.

"My mother ran the household on my father's pension. Yet, she allowed me to pursue my dreams and not for once did me or my sister feel that we lacked comfort. I still can't figure out how she even managed," he got a touch emotional.

But things have changed since he established himself as a first-class player, had his time in IPL and is now slowly making a mark in international cricket.

"Now I have built a house in Hyderabad. I want my mother to relax," he said.

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News Network
March 7,2020

Melbourne, Mar 7: Ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup against Australia, India spinner Poonam Yadav said that skipper Harmanpreet Kaur has given her a lot of support.

"Harmanpreet has been of immense support. When I got hit for a six in the first over, she came to me and said, 'Poonam, you're one of the most experienced players in the team, and we expect better of you'," Poonam said.

The 28-year-old experienced bowler has played 68 shortest format games for India and taken 94 wickets at an average of 22.66.

She has been in devastating form throughout the tournament and has bagged nine wickets so far.

"So, that kind of stirred something within me. I told myself if my captain has that much faith in me, I should be able to make a comeback," she said.

"I took a wicket in the very next ball, and didn't look back since. Now when I look back at that moment, it means so much in the context of my individual performance and run to the final," she added.

In the opening game against Australia at Sydney Showground, Poonam came within a whisker of the third hat-trick in Women's T20 World Cup history, dismissing Rachael Haynes and Ellyse Perry before Jess Jonassen was dropped.

The final of the tournament will be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on March 8 -- International Women's Day.

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Agencies
January 23,2020

Aurangabad, Jan 23: An FIR has been registered against three people including former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin for allegedly duping a travel agent, Mohammad Shadab, of more than Rs 20 lakh.

However, Mohammad Azharuddin has refuted allegations and said: "I strongly rubbish the false FIR filed against me in Aurangabad. I am consulting my legal team and would be taking action as necessary."

Azharuddin's personal assistant Mujeeb lives in Augurangabad and has good relations with the travel agency of Shadab.

The travel agent alleged that Mujeeb asked him to book some flight tickets but did not pay the amount.

The police have booked the three under Section 406, 420 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.

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News Network
January 2,2020

New Delhi, Jan 2: On the first day of the New Year 2020, Hardik Pandya announced his engagement with Serbian actor Natasa Stankovic.

The cricketer took to Instagram to share a photo with the actor and captioned the post: "Mai tera, Tu meri jaane, saara Hindustan. 01.01.2020 #engaged".

The 26-year-old shared three pictures and a short clip on the social media platform. In one photo, Stankovic can be seen flaunting her ring.

The couple got engaged in Dubai and were seen taking a ferry ride along with close friends.

On work front, Stankovic was last seen in a song from Bollywood movie The Body starring Emraan Hashmi and Rishi Kapoor. She had also made it to the finals of the TV show Nach Baliye with her ex-boyfriend Aly Goni.

Stankovic first became a household name after appearing as a contestant on famous reality show 'Bigg Boss 8'.

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