Sport

Yuvraj longs to make a mark in the Test arena

NEW DELHI: Yuvraj Singh, at 26, is a senior member of the team, and a matured batsman on the circuit. He had arrived with a bang seven years ago at Nairobi, belting the likes of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie, signalling his arrival.

He is still in the business of belting the bowlers but wants to extend it to the Test arena too. He has dominated the best of attacks in limited overs contests and demonstrated his awesome range of strokeplay in a regal style. However, he longs to make a mark at the Test level.

“I have learnt to live with the pressures that come when you grow as a cricketer,” he told The Hindu. “I have also learnt the importance of improving. You have to ensure your game doesn’t became stagnant because cricket is becoming increasingly demanding. You have to learn to play to the situation.”

The gifted left-hander’s vision is in place. He realises he is in great form and wants to make the most of it; quite similar to Sunil Gavaskar, who utilised the good form as a cushion against bad form. “It is a one-ball game. You hit a four or a six and can get out the next ball. You hit a century, feel good, acknowledge the cheers from the audience, and next ball you can lose your wicket.”

Yuvraj also recognises the need to excel in the longer version of the game.

“I am glad I have been a regular in the one-day team (195 matches and 5573 runs) and am happy with what I have achieved. But I am not a good player if I have not done well in Tests (19 matches and 830 runs). I can be something only if I do well in Tests too. I may be a senior member in the one-day team but not in a Test squad,” is Yuvraj’s humble assessment of his cricket.

From the time he first strode to the middle, Yuvraj has improved immensely. “I understand the game a lot better now. I am more confident now but it is true that Test cricket is tougher. If you do well in Tests, other things fall in place. In one-day matches, there are no slips and the bowler gets you not by bowling well. He is mainly trying to deny you runs. In Tests, the situation is different. The bowlers come at you because the focus is on taking wickets. In Tests, you can’t play your shots all the time as you try in one-day matches.”

Concentration and confidence is what he has been working on. “I have been doing some breathing exercises because they help you ease the pressure when in the middle. Pressure sometimes helps you give your best. I enjoyed batting in the ICC World Twenty20. The emphasis is on hitting every ball, slogging all the time.”

A brilliant fielder, Yuvraj confesses it is one department which has seen some revolutionary improvement in the last five years or so. “Fielding has become more challenging and electrifying. The ball is travelling harder and faster. No team can afford to have a weak fielder now. Fielding positions change every three or four balls. You have to save runs, create catching positions, and back the bowlers. You also have to anticipate moves from the batsmen. You have to see which batsman hits hard and times the ball. Good fielding can change the course of the match.”