Vijay played exactly one match this IPL season for Chennai, scoring 12 against Kings XI Punjab. That means he has played exactly one T20 game and two List-A fixtures since the Test tour of South Africa back in January 2018, where he played three games.

He wasn’t at his best in South Africa, where he made 102 runs in six innings. But his overall Test record – 3,802 runs in 56 Tests at an average of 40.02 – and ability to stay in the middle for long periods makes him one of the key men in India’s line-up.

“Even experienced players tend to struggle in England as the conditions are alien. Scoring runs in such conditions is a mental game and you have to be persistent. It is important to bide your time, believe in yourself and runs will come. That’s what I have looked to do throughout my career,” said Vijay.

A few Indians, like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma, have been involved in the English county circuit, while Virat Kohli had every intention of spending a month with Surrey before he had to opt out with a neck injury.

Vijay has in the past said he would have done the same had Chennai not picked him up. As for his plans in England, he wants to stick to what he knows best. “I tried going for different things (before) and it didn’t work,” he said. “I am in a state where I want to enjoy the game than set any targets. I believe I have the hunger to go, do big and that’s more important.”