Australia v India: Murali Vijay ranks century as one of his best

Murali Vijay said it was great feeling to score 144 - his fifth Test century and fourth against Australia - as India reached 311-4 on day one of the second Test.

Vijay – who hit two fifties in India’s defeat in Adelaide last week – made the Australian bowlers toil in the Brisbane heat, with humidity high and temperatures in the late 30s.

Debutant Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh had to leave the field with cramp and a hamstring problem respectively and Mitchell Starc seeming to suffer with heat exhaustion.

“Today was testing for us all,” said Vijay. “But thinking as a batsman, I could see a lot of bowlers sulking out there because it was really hot.

“The [post-tea] session was really important for us as a lot of people on their team were getting tired. I wanted to wait until that time and make use of it.”

Challenging

Vijay was dropped twice earlier in the day – most crucially on 36 by Shaun Marsh - and then again on 102 by the same man but he ranks his fifth Test century as one of his best.

Test Cricket

“You can only go close to perfection, but I think I did pretty well today,” he said.

“It was mentally challenging but when you are playing for your country you've got to do your stuff to the best of your ability.”

Australia coach Darren Lehmann rued the way his side finished the day having had India 137-3 at one stage – with dangermen Cheteshwar Pujara (18) and double-centurion from the first Test, Virat Kohli (19), both gone – on a pitch which offered plenty of pace and bounce.

“It was very hot and we understand that as a group and a team but we've got to be better than that in the last session,” he said. “I thought the first session was okay, the second session very good, third session very poor.”

“It would be nice to have a full contingent out there,” Lehmann added. “But we've got get back in the game - they outplayed us today.”