Robin Uthappa does not shy away from answering questions about his ambition to earn a permanent slot in the Indian team. Despite a stop-start nine-year international career, donning national colours remains the ultimate goal. His most recent stint though, was less than stellar. The stroke-maker notched scores of 0, 13 and 31 in a three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe, but he did far better in the Twenty20 leg of the tour. Uthappa hit an unbeaten 39 and 42 - the best show by an Indian batsman on both occasions. The selectors, however, were not impressed. Uthappa was not included in the 30-man probables list for the series against South Africa, nor was he picked for the many India ‘A’ engagements.
The 29-year-old is naturally disappointed, but given the many ups and downs in his career, believes that he is now better prepared to handle setbacks. On the sidelines of Karnataka’s first-class fixture against Bangladesh ‘A’ at Mysuru recently, Uthappa spoke about working towards regaining his place in the Indian team, the support of his fans and more..
Have you had time to reflect on why you were dropped for the South Africa series?
Well, I’m not sure why I was dropped. I top-scored in both the Twenty20s that I played in Zimbabwe, so I gave myself a good chance to at least make it to the T20 squad. The ODIs did not go as well as I would have liked, but I was happy with the T20s. Having said that, it is now my job to stack up the runs, like I have done with the Bijapur Bulls in the Karnataka Premier League (Uthappa averaged 58 in his team's title-winning run).
Do you think that your ODI form in Zimbabwe was the primary reason for being dropped?
I can say that I’ve got the most number of runs for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy last season. I've been doing well for the last three to four years. In this context, it was disappointing that I did not get picked for any of the India A sides. I feel that I bring value to any team that I play in. But, you take this in your stride. Take the good with the bad – that’s what I do. I just keep working hard, because I don't ever want to feel that I have not tried my best. I control what I can, and leave the rest to God.
Have you spoken to anyone in the Indian team or the team management to find out what happened?
No, I have not. I did not want put them, or myself, in that sort of a situation. I want to save myself from that awkward situation and just focus on my cricket.
How do you deal with this sort of disappointment?
I spend a lot of time in introspection, and realigning my goals. I use a few days for this purpose. In a way, it has gotten better now. I have been able to deal with this better than I have in the past. I've made a comeback from a place where I was completely written off, and now all you guys (media) are talking about me. I have the support of my fans, my supporters and the media - something I did not have at one time in the past. I am grateful for that. The dream is to win Test matches for India, and I am putting in the work for that.
Moving to Karnataka's domestic season, what can we expect? Can the side dominate the scene like it has done in the last two years?
Yes, I believe we can continue to great things. We want to retain our all trophies (Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare and Irani Trophy), and if we play to our potential, we certainly can. We have been putting in the work for this purpose. Even when the KPL was on, we (Karnataka team members) practiced with the red ball, so that we can keep in touch with the long format. We practiced leaving the ball outside off-stump and other aspects of first-class cricket.
