Murali Vijay, India opening batsman in the longer format of the game, has shown the knack of playing longer innings every time time he crosses the 100-run mark but has never managed to reach the milestone of 200 runs.
Vijay completed his sixth Test century against Bangladesh in the first innings of the one-off Test match, which is being played at Fatullah. Vijay and the other opener Shikhar Dhawan scored a century each but failed to achieve the 200-run feat. Vijay fell for 150 and Dhawan threw his wicket away when he was on 173.
Vijay's last five 100-plus scores are 139, 167, 153, 146 and 144. He has achieved this feat in 32 Test matches and is looking forward to do more for his country.
"I have been batting well and scoring these 140s and 150s. Now it's time to take another step and aim for a double hundred. To achieve that I am working on my fitness.
"As I said earlier, after having batted long enough to get to 150 your body tires out due to the external factors like the heat and humidity. That affects your mind. If you have the will to do it, you will. I have that will and I am doing everything I can to achieve that. Hopefully it is around the corner," Vijay told reporters at the press conference after the end of the day's play.
Vijay and Dhawan added 283 runs for the opening wicket in the first innings of the one-off Test match against Bangladesh. He said that being friends has helped both the openers who were instrumental in propelling India to 462 for six in the first innings.
"It is said that for the openers it is important to be good friends off the field in order to succeed as a pair on it. And it is absolutely true. Shikhar and I share a very good rapport off the field and that helps us in the middle.
"Although our games are different, we know each other's games very well. As far as our personalities go, some people think he is the relaxed one and I am the serious one. But while batting it is the other way round. I am more relaxed and he is usually pumped up from inside. We complement each other well in that way," Vijay said.
Vijay was happy that he could play such a knock but still felt that he could have done better and got few more runs for India.
"You have to seize that opportunity to go on and score a big one. Things are not served to you on a platter at this level and you have to make every chance and every moment of good form count," Vijay said.
A draw looks imminent as Day 4 ended with Bangladesh at 111 for the loss of three wickets. Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh were bowling well but rain played spoiltsport yet again as it has been doing ever since Day 1.
