Discarded Indian batsman to join Essex for County Championship

Murali Vijay hasn’t the best of times in India’s ongoing Test series against England. After lacklustre performances in the first three matches, he was omitted for the final two Tests and was replaced by Prithvi Shaw. At Lord’s, the right-hander bagged a pair and was subsequently dropped for the third match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, which India won by 203 runs.

However, the Tamil Nadu-born batsman will stay in England for the reason that he has struck a deal with Essex for the remainder of the County Championship. Quite expectantly, Vijay was ecstatic after signing the agreement to ply his trade in England’s domestic circuit.

We’re delighted that Murali has chosen to come here

“I was here with the India side about a month ago and saw first-hand just how good the crowd is. I can’t wait to play for Essex and hopefully win some matches,” Vijay was quoted as saying in Essex cricket’s official website.

Anthony McGrath, the head coach of the team, has expressed his delight after signing the 34-year old right-handed batsman. “We’re delighted that Murali has chosen to come here, he’s a great batsman who can score runs at the top of the order.

Vijay’s run-scoring ability means he can be the difference-maker in a game, and that skill is something we were looking to bring in towards the end of the season and something that we’re excited about,” McGrath mentioned.

“The campaign is coming to an end and we have some really big games over the next month, so getting someone in with the experience and international quality that Murali possesses could make all the difference for us,” the former English cricketer added.

Essex are currently placed in the fourth spot of the Division One of the championship. The team has garnered 121 points from 11 matches courtesy of four victories. Moreover, the team has lost four contests. The Ryan ten Doeschate-led team slumped to a 10-wicket defeat against Surrey in their last match.

They have three more matches against Nottinghamshire, Worcestershire, and Surrey remaining in the event. Meanwhile, Vijay will be desperate to get some useful scores under his belt and stake his claim back into the national team for further assignments.

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