‘Prepared To Bat Anywhere’: India latest contender for Test opening slot – Watch

As Team India prepares for New Zealand Tests, the tussle for opening slots has taken a centre stage. After Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill having a tough time in the warm-up fixture and Rohit Sharma injured, the team management are in a spot of bother.

‘Prepared to bat anywhere’

Amidst all the talks of Shaw, Shubman and Mayank, there is another contender who offers another option for the team management. After a good outing in the warm-up game, retiring after scoring 101, Hanuma Vihari has suggested he is ready for the opening role if asked.

“As a player, I am prepared to bat anywhere. As of now, I’ve not been informed anything. As I said before as well, if the team requires me to bat wherever, I am ready to bat,” said Vihari.

“Sometimes you have to understand the team combination as well. You can’t get disheartened by it. I understood when you are playing at home, we play five bowlers. It’s obvious that one batter has to miss out. So I took it in my stride. I don’t want to prove anything to anyone but just follow the process,” added Vihari.

Hanuma Vihari ready for ‘seamer-friendly tracks’ challenge

New Zealand are likely to give India seamer-friendly tracks at both Wellington and Christchurch.

“Maybe we will get pitches like these because New Zealand’s strength is their fast bowling. They have a very experienced bowling attack but it’s good that we got some time in the middle and we experienced these conditions. “They were tough and it’s good to experience tough conditions before the series and we’re happy with the way the day went,” said Vihari.

“Pujara told me to leave more balls on this wicket, get my eye in and it will make my job easier. I listened to him and it paid off. When the wicket flattens out, they (NZ bowlers) try to experiment with the short balls and I am sure even Neil Wagner will come up with the same ploy. We are prepared for it,” added Vihari.