Murali Vijay signs for Essex in English County Championship Season 2018

Indian opener Murali Vijay has signed for English county side Essex for the last three games of the County Championship season 2018. The stylish opener has been suffering from a poor run of form and desperately wants to work on his overseas batting technique.

“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.”

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The 34-year-old was dropped from the Indian playing XI following a dismal show in the first two Tests against England. Pundits and fans were calling to bench him after the first Test but his fate was sealed after he registered a pair in the Lord’s Test.

Vijay joins Essex as a replacement for Australian seamer Peter Siddle.

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“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,” Essex’s head coach Anthony McGrath said.

“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,” he added.

Vijay has represented India in 59 Tests, scoring 3933 runs with an average of 39.33.