Yuvraj Singh arrived for the post-match press conference on Thursday having won the Man-of-the-match award for his performance with both bat and ball in the first Twenty20 match against England. He is accustomed to success in limited-over matches (50 and 20-overs-a-side), but has not seen much action in Test match cricket.
Dropped after the Eden Gardens Test that England won by seven wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series, the left-hander may still be hoping to come good in Tests, but only time will tell whether he can convince the selectors that he be given another chance.
He is 31 and not old enough to be discarded; his scores against England were 74 at Motera, 0 and 8 at the Wankhede and 32 and 11 at the Eden.
Looking forward
On Wednesday, though, he said he was happy to play for India. “I don’t really want to comment on the Test series. I need to look forward. Where I’ve come back from, I feel very lucky to be alive. I don’t know what will happen in the future. I am very proud I’m playing for India again, and that’s what really matters; whether it’s Test cricket, one-dayers or Twenty20, I just love every moment playing for India,” he said.
For someone who made his Test debut nine years ago against New Zealand, he’s been able to score consistently only against Pakistan, including three centuries. This is bound to please most; but experts are surprised at his inability, especially considering his batting talent, to come good against other opponents in Tests.
He has played 40 Tests and scored 1,900 runs at 33.93, which is what has disappointed his friends and critics alike.
Talking of his fitness he said: “A year ago I was bed-ridden. I am getting better. It’s been seven to eight months since I recovered. I have to train really hard to be where I am, at a good stage. But I need to work more on my fitness and gain confidence by winning games for India.”
Small compensation
On his success as a bowler in limited-over matches, he said: “Even I’m not sure how I get so many wickets. I thought initially we were bowling faster, and it was easier for the batsmen to hit the ball. I just felt bowling a little slower would help, and that’s where I think we gathered momentum by taking those three wickets,” he said of the first Twenty20 match against England.
He further said the win was “small compensation” for the Test series defeat and hoped India would carry the momentum into the next match and also the series against Pakistan.
“It’s important because losing in England 4-0 and in India 2-1 is quite shattering. But in one-day cricket, we won 5-0 in the last series (at home) and I hope we can carry on this momentum. It was important to win the first game and get a good start. If we had lost we would have had to win back.
“With youngsters coming in, the fielding is much better and this win also gives momentum and more confidence for the rest of the series and Pakistan. I feel like a veteran in the side, for the limited-over games.”
In conclusion he said: “I came for the press conference to dedicate the Man-of-the-match award to the girl who was molested in Delhi and her parents. It’s very sad, what has happened, and it’s really disturbing. Hopefully this sort of thing does not happen again. The entire Indian team is concerned about her health.”
