'The best thing about Vijay is that he is mentally very strong'

Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian Test team, has praised opener Murali Vijay and middle order batsman Ajinkya Rahane.

"He (Murali Vijay) has always been a very very solid opener for India. Everyone has a few hiccups in his career, all of us out involved in that bracket and all of us have gone through it.

"The best thing about him is that he is mentally very strong. Has a lot of patience, a very solid character and is very sure of himself and of his game," he said. 

Talking about individual players of the Sri Lanka-bound squad, Kohli was sumptuous in his praise for the Tamil Nadu b atsman.

"In Test matches he has been a very solid opener for us, especially after the pair of Sehwag and Gambhir that we had, he is the one who has given us lot of stability at the top of the order," he added. 

'Rahane is willing to do anything that the team requires of him'

Also drawing praise from Kohli were young batsman Ajinkya Rahane. 

"I really like Ajinkya (Rahane) as a batsman and as a fielder as well in the team. Really nice to have a guy who has so much energy and puts in 100 percent every time he steps on the field, every ball that he plays, every ball that he fields, he is always there for the team.

"He is willing to do anything that the team requires of him and he is one guy who I feel will be a very important factor as far as Team India doing well in Test cricket is concerned, because he brings that solidarity in the middle order, coming straight after me."