4 changes India should make for the Boxing Day MCG Test

#3 Mayank Agarwal for Murali Vijay

Vijay has looked out of sorts for a while now

Murali Vijay was once a shoo-in for India's Test squad because of his ability to play long innings. He adapted his swashbuckling style of play to a more serene approach and was nicknamed 'The Monk' - which was an apt moniker for his strength of leaving balls and hitting the big hundreds, while his opening partners changed frequently.

However, that same strength seems to have deserted him in the past year. In fact, he was dropped mid-way through the England series for Shikhar Dhawan but the Delhi batsman's abysmal showings coupled with Prithvi Shaw's injury meant that Vijay was drafted back into the starting XI. But Vijay has not justified his selection so far.

He has repeatedly chased balls outside off and has looked very fidgety, save for the second innings at Perth. Recklessness is not something you expect from your opener and Mayank Agarwal will be a like-for-like replacement for him. It will also be a just reward for Agarwal who has been knocking on the doors of the Indian team for quite a while now.

Shaw was picked ahead of him in the bummer of a series against West Indies and he most probably would have been first-choice here but his injury is a blessing in disguise for the Karnataka batsman and also an audition to stake his claim to be the opener in the long run.