'Was disappointed. So I went to South Africa, got runs and made it to the team again': India batter on missing NZ series

There were a number of questions raised when the batter was dropped for India's Test series at home against New Zealand.

India have often seen players called in as replacement to regulars putting up big performances but still getting dropped as they haven't yet established themselves as regulars in their position, particularly in Test cricket. While this has led to India having an enviable pool of talent for almost every position in the playing eleven, it has also led to some players having stop-start careers.

India play the fifth Test against England starting on Friday.  (BCCI)

One such player is Hanuma Vihari, who despite his gritty performances whenever he does get to play, has not quite been able to clamp down on a spot in the playing eleven. He had not played a Test match for over a year after managing an epic draw for India in the 2021 Sydney Test while batting with an injury.

It was widely expected that Vihari would be included in India's home Test series against New Zealand earlier this year but the management instead chose to give Shreyas Iyer a Test debut.

“No, definitely not hurt. Obviously, I was disappointed,” Vihari told the New Indian Express when asked if he was hurt by the snub.

“But again, it is something that is not in my control. Instead, I went to South Africa (with India A), got runs and made it to the team again. So that is all I can do it from my side - keep scoring runs as much as I can,” he said.