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Yuvraj Singh waits for a recall

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Runs in the next fortnight are crucial for the Test hopefuls

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

TOUGH COOKIE: Yuvraj Singh overcame a back injury and played a blinder in the first ODI against England. The southpaw will be eager to regain fitness and stake his claim for a place in the Test squad.

Indore: A shadow passed across Yuvraj Singh’s face on Friday evening at Rajkot. It was the lone moment when regret tugged at his heart after he played an innings, which he would recount in his twilight years with a rocking chair and old friends for company.

Yuvraj was asked about missing out on the Test squad during the recent series against Australia and he replied: “I was disappointed that I couldn’t be in that squad but I am happy that our team won the series.” The moment passed and it was back to reliving his unbeaten 138.

Stiff competition

However, as the Indian team criss-crosses the country during the current seven-match One-Day International series against England, Yuvraj will be among its batsmen who will mutter prayers and hope that the runs will flow. Sourav Ganguly’s retirement has opened up a slot in the Indian Test middle order and for Yuvraj, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma in the limited overs squad and for even S. Badrinath, a tad unlucky to be back in the Ranji Trophy circuit, runs in the next fortnight are critical.

The first Test against England will commence at Ahmedabad on December 11 and the quartet along with Virat Kohli will hope to get the call. An opportunity has cropped up after eight years when V.V.S. Laxman relinquished his opener’s role and slipped into Mohammad Azharuddin’s shoes.

Missing out

There have been others who had the opportunity but failed. Mohammad Kaif and Hemang Badani during the Sri Lankan tour of 2001, stepped into the Test squad after Sachin Tendulkar and V.V.S. Laxman missed out due to injuries.

Sadly Kaif and Badani could not translate their talent into runs.

It was a folly that tripped Vijay Bharadwaj too in 2000. Kaif is still around, slogging in the domestic circuit while his former India ‘A’ coach K. Srikkanth chairs the selection committee now. But more than all these batsmen, it is Yuvraj who will bank on destiny and runs to make the grade again.

“This hundred was about proving myself that I still belong at this stage,” Yuvraj said after his 78-ball blitz at Rajkot. Since his Test debut in 2003, Yuvraj has played 23 matches in a career plagued by dips in form and an injured knee.

Last December after a 169 against Pakistan in the Bangalore Test, he elbowed into the touring party to Australia and slumped with 17 runs from four innings. He then got a lone innings against the South Africans at Kanpur in April and scored 32.

His limited overs form too nose-dived with 72 runs in the Sri Lankan tour. In this backdrop, the innings at Rajkot that had its lone moments of discomfort in the early spells of Andrew Flintoff, was important for Yuvraj.

Touching gesture

“When a player is down, that is the time when you should back him and boost his morale,” Dhoni had said when asked about Yuvraj’s poor form prior to the match and it was a touching gesture to see Virender Sehwag, returning to the pavilion after his 85, pause near the ropes and advice Yuvraj.

“Sehwag told me that it was a good wicket and asked me to bat long,” Yuvraj said later.

These small things rich in symbolism much akin to Dhoni carrying Anil Kumble on his shoulders in Delhi, reflect a happy team and it is up to Yuvraj and the others to build on the positive vibes and take forward the tradition of the ‘great Indian middle order.’

But before that Yuvraj has to attend to his back and India has to win the ODI series against England.

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