India batsman Vihari owes his success to 'curator' mother

G Hanuma Vihari is spending his 25th birthday in almost the best possible fashion mdash as a squad member of the Indian cricket team playing the West Indies mdash in the second Test here Of course the word almost wouldnt have been used had the batsman been in the playing XI just like he was in the final Test against England at the Oval last monthNot very far away from the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal the Vihari bungalow in Kowkur on the outskirts of Hyderabad is decorated with flowers But thats for Navratri and not because of her sons birthday the batsmans mother Vijayalakshmi clarifiesG Hanuma Viharis mother Vijayalakshmi at her Hbad residence on Saturday PicHarit N JoshiSmall birthday partyHe is scheduled to visit his family members later in the evening when his mother and close friends will gather for a short cakecutting function before Vihari dashes back to the team hotel I follow and read a lot about cricket Vijayalakshmi says as we gaze at Viharis trophies and photographs that adorn the living roomAs a child he would watch matches on television with me Playing with the colony boys he would take diving catches on the road without any fear Thats when we thought he has the spark and should pursue the sport seriouslyViharis parents enrolled him in a cricket academy at Khamman district when he was eight Viharis father was an engineer with the Singareni Coal Mines company and had to shift base quite often So when the Viharis moved to Hyderabad he got coached by Nagesh Hammond The former Hyderabad cricketer then suggested that the kid then 11 be sent to K John Manoj at the St Johns Cricket Academy But six months into formal coaching Vihari fathers passed awayVihari washes his cricket whites as a kidVijayalakshmi had to make a big decision at this point Take up the job offer with the company where her husband served or manage with Rs 22000 as monthly pension She chose the latter because it would help her focus better on Viharis cricketing development He was equally good at academics and that is why he got a free seat at St Andrews School Had I taken up a job I wouldnt have been able to focus on his cricket We struggled a bit from 2005 to 2010 as we had to manage the house rent education expenses of my daughter who is elder to Vihari and the household Vijayalakshmi saysViharis mother took a gamble after receiving a lump sum from her husbands company We received close to Rs 15 lakh I decided to buy a plot 400 sqm yards and prepared a cement wicket to provide extra practice for my son I also purchased a bowling machine and would bowl to him in the nets Vijayalakshmi recallsA young Vihari posing in a photo studio in Hyderabad PicsHanuma Viharis personal collectionTough timesAll these steps were taken when Vihari was dropped from the U13 state team I was worried because if he didnt make the state team we had no business in letting him play the sport To make a comeback he had to work hard and do something extra So with the help of a groundsman I prepared the pitch she says Kit expenses were negated when he bagged an equipment and apparel contract with Nike at 16 Cricketwise we never had to spend a lot of money on Vihari Everything just fell in place at the right time his mother saysVijayalakshmi sold the plot as soon as her son made his firstclass debut against Jharkhand in 201011 since topclass facilities were now at his disposal I always knew my son was capable of playing for the country There have been ups and downs but we have remained positive All he needed was support which I provided she saysIt is this positivity that has worked wonders for VihariHe scored 752 runs at 9400 in the 201718 Ranji Trophy season His triplecentury for Andhra Pradesh against Odisha earned him big accolades and so did his 183 in the Irani Cup for Rest of IndiaMore recently his inclusion in the playing XI at the Oval was criticised because there was a strong case for Karun Nair to come in Vihari scored a halfcentury and made a good impression He appears to be a silent achiever Good days are as imminent as the rising sun And there could well be another reason to decorate that quaint bungalowAlso Read IND Vs ENG AllRounder Hanuma Hails From A Vihari Very Special Club In HyderabadCatch up on all the latest sports news and updates here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates