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    "title": "Fit again Vijay eyeing strong show against Proteas",
    "lang": "en",
    "series": "57",
    "cup_year": "2015",
    "article_type": "General",
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    "editor1": "<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>New Delhi, Sep 16<\/strong> - Having recovered from a recurrent hamstring injury, Indian opener Murali Vijay is targetting a return to peak fitness before the home series against South Africa which starts early next month.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vijay injured his hamstring during the one-day and T20 International series against Zimbabwe in July, which also forced him to miss the first Test against Sri Lanka last month.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Tamil Nadu batsman has been included in the 30-player list for the preparatory camp that starts in Bangalore on September 21. While he is looking forward to taking on the South Africans, Vijay&#39;s sole focus right now is attaining his best physical shape.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&quot;I am getting better. I should be fully fit,&quot; Vijay was quoted as saying by a news channel on Wednesday.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vijay played the second Test against Sri Lanka, scoring a gritty 82 in the second innings. But he injured his hamstring again during the 140-run partnership with Ajinkya Rahane.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&quot;I had a chat with the physio before the second Test and we decided I could play since I had done my rehabilitation well during the break (after the Zimbabwe tour). And I never had any doubts about my batting,&quot; he recalled.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&quot;In the second or third over of the innings, I tweaked the hamstring again and when I pushed for a single, I realised something was wrong inside,&quot; he added. &quot;I was struggling to run quick singles and twos. That&#39;s when I decided that I should be a little more positive. I didn&#39;t want to put Ajinkya under pressure and disturb his tempo.&quot;&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&quot;I told Ajinkya, &#39;You stay at one end and anchor the innings like you have so far; I will take the risks&#39;. I thought, even if I get out, Virat would be in next. He and Ajinkya are much fitter and can run hard between the wickets. I didn&#39;t want to disturb Ajinkya&#39;s rhythm because at that time his wicket was more crucial to the team than mine.&quot;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Vijay was in good form during India&#39;s tour of South Africa in 2013. The 31-year-old is now relishing the prospect of producing another strong performance against the Proteas in Indian conditions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Recalling the series in South Africa, Vijay said the innings he played in the Johannesburg Test went a long way in bringing about a turnaround in his career.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&quot;It was the 39 runs in the Johannesburg Test that turned things around for me. I could feel that I was batting well. That&#39;s what gave me confidence going into the Durban Test,&quot; he recalled.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&quot;I was under the pump and really wanted to come good. The ball was reversing in Durban and it helped that I play a lot of reverse swing back home at the domestic level,&rdquo; he added.&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">&quot;It has been a great journey for me -- the last one and a half year. But the best of me is yet to come.&quot;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"line-height: 20.8px; text-align: justify;\">(IANS)<\/span><\/p>\r\n",
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    "created": "2015-09-17 06:40:00",
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