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?Passing Tests helped in ODIs: Yuvraj
The left-hander who has finally made the Test grade, talks to HT about how success in Tests has helped him.
For someone who played a match-winning innings in his very first international innings — against Australia in the 2000 ICC Knockout meet in Kenya — it has taken Yuvraj Singh rather long to establish himself as a pillar of the Indian side.
His ability to hit the ball with vim and vigour was never in doubt but his place in the XI was. Having more or less sealed a slot in the ODI side a few years ago before emerging as a middle-order mainstay, the Punjab powerhouse has finally made the Test grade.
The left-hander, whose batting has blossomed over the last year, now speaks with a lot of confidence, which surely comes from the success he has had. The following are excerpts from his recent chat with HT.
How do you describe the change in yourself in the last eight to ten months?
I am more patient and more consistent — or rather, trying to be more consistent. Trying to be a better person in the sense that I have realised my responsibilities and am paying more attention to what goals I should set for myself and for the team. Technically, I am trying to play as straight as possible.
The team depends a lot on you these days. How has that affected your game?
There is a big responsibility on my shoulders as the team expects me to deliver. In onedayers, I go out and try to bat through the full quota of overs. I know that if I get set, 90 per cent of the times I will win the game for my team. It's a big challenge and I like that. The seniors have done this in the past and it's my turn.
What has caused the transformation in your game over the last few months?
It's difficult to identify any one point in particular, but talking to Greg (Chappell) has made me mentally stronger. Apart from that, it's also a question of opportunities. When we had Sourav (Ganguly), Sachin (Tendulkar) and (VVS) Laxman regularly in the one-day XI, I would bat at No 6 or 7. Now that I have got the opportunity to bat up the order, I have been able to convert my innings into big scores. I have batted in many positions, which has given me an idea of the demands in each of them.
There was a time when you got branded as a one-day specialist and even got dropped from the Test side after scoring a century. How did you cope with that situation?
Never cared about getting branded. I was always confident of doing well in Test cricket. As for getting dropped after scoring a century, that was a difficult period, with some ups and downs. I didn't know what to do — whether to open or bat in the middle. After speaking to close friends, those who have helped me in my career, I decided to stick to the middle-order and wait for my chance. My mother was also a big inspiration. Getting a place in Test cricket has helped me perform better in one-dayers. If you perform well in five-day games, one-day cricket becomes easier because Test cricket is tougher.
Your driving has improved remarkably, but would you agree you are not as comfortable against spinners as you are against faster bowlers?
I don't think I have any difficulty against spinners. In the ODIs here I got out to them a few times while looking for quick runs. And in the first Test I played a bad shot (against Dave Mohammed). As for driving, it comes naturally to me.
Obviously, I have had to work on it and looking to play straight has also helped.
Stat Attack Yuvi’s figures ODI Record 154 matches 140 innings 20 not out 4232 runs 139 highest score 35.26 avg 7 100s 25 50s 6 ducks Under Chappell 37 matches 36 innings 8 not out 1536 runs 120 highest score 54.85 avg. 5 100s 8 50s Big knocks Each 100 after 22 matches; fifty in 6. Test Record 17 matches 25 innings 3 not out 790 runs 122 highest score 35.90 avg. 2 100s 3 50s 2 ducks Under Chappell 11 matches 15 innings 1 not out 448 runs 122 highest score 34.85 avg. 1 100 2 50s 2 ducks Big knocks Each hundred in 8.5 Tests and fifty in 5.66 games.
