India in England: Can be surprised by the Dukes ball’s movement even if you are set, says Hanuma Vihari

India batsman Hanuma Vihari has said that one has to be sure about their shot selection while batting in England in addition to being able to play according to the conditions on offer.

Vihari has been playing in the County Championship for Warwickshire since April this year and will be joined by the rest of his India in England team mates for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. He said that the weather conditions make batting in England a challenging prospect.

“Definitely, that’s the challenge here. The overhead conditions play a part as well because when it is sunny, it gets a bit easier to bat, but when it is overcast, the ball moves all day. That was the challenge I faced early on in this season of county cricket — because it was quite cold and the ball was doing a lot off the wicket,” he told ESPNCricinfo.

Vihari made his Test debut for India during their previous five-match series in England in 2018. He is expected to be part of the Indian side who face England in a five-Test series after the WTC final. On his County debut this year, Vihari was dismissed by veteran England fast bowler Stuart Broad for a 23-ball duck.

“I thought it was full enough for me to drive, but again, in England you have to be really certain with your shot selection. In India, you can get away with a push, or even if it is not there to drive, you can still get away driving on the up. If I were to play that ball a second time, I would try to play as late possible,” he said.

“Having said that, it was just my first innings in county cricket. I learned that I should play much later. In the second match, against Essex, I got 30 and 50. Essex are the defending champions and have a decent bowling attack with Peter Siddle and Simon Harmer. I thought I batted well, but I should have converted it into a bigger score,” said Vihari.