‘Excited for red-ball fun’, Suryakumar wants to ‘earn the Test spot again’

As things stand, there are at least four others, including his Mumbai team-mates Sarfaraz Khan and Shreyas Iyer, along with KL Rahul and Rajat Patidar, ahead of him in the pecking order. But he wants to give the long-form cricket another proper crack in a bid to add to his one-Test appearance last year, against Australia in Nagpur.

“There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again,” Suryakumar said in Coimbatore on Monday after Mumbai’s training session on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu Invitational tournament.

“I made my debut for India in Tests. After that, I got injured as well. There were a lot of people who got an opportunity and have done well too. They deserve that opportunity right now.

“Going forward, if I have to play, then I will automatically play. That’s not in my control. What’s in my power right now is to play the Buchi Babu tournament, go on to play the Duleep Trophy and then see what happens. But yes, I’m really looking forward. There are ten Test matches lined up and I’m obviously excited for some red-ball fun.”

Suryakumar hasn’t played a first-class fixture since last year’s Duleep Trophy 13 months ago. Between then and now, he has recuperated from a groin surgery in Germany that kept him out of action for three months. During this period, he was part of the ODI and T20 World Cups.

He was named full-time T20I captain after Rohit retired from the format following India’s title win in the Caribbean. Recently, he led India to a 3-0 T20I series sweep in Sri Lanka. After the Buchi Babu fixture, he will head to Anantapur for the Duleep Trophy, where he has been named in the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led India C squad.

“Red-ball cricket has always been my priority,” Suryakumar said. “When I grew up in the maidans of Mumbai and played a lot of local cricket, I started playing with the red cherry. The love for the longest format began there, and has always been there.

“I have taken part in a lot of first-class matches for more than ten years now and I still cherish playing this format. There’s no question about it and that’s why I’m here before the Duleep Trophy.

“I will always look for an opportunity to come and play for Mumbai, be it in first-class cricket or a tournament like the Buchi Babu. A lot of international players have played in this competition before and have gone on to represent the country.”

Suryakumar’s return to long-form cricket comes at a time when India are slated to play ten Tests over the next four months, starting with the two-Test series against Bangladesh on September 19. That will be followed by three against New Zealand and five away, in Australia.

“I still cherish playing this format. There’s no question about it and that’s why I’m here before the Duleep Trophy”

For Suryakumar to make a pitch for a Test recall, he will need a series of tall scores. He is looking at the upcoming opportunity for Mumbai as a blessing to acclimatise to red-ball cricket quickly before the domestic season begins.

“We are fortunate to have this tournament because we don’t get many multi-day games back home during this weather,” he said. “Yes, you can practise for a couple of hours, but standing in the heat for six hours and doing that three or four days in a row is only possible through a game. That’s very important going forward in the Duleep Trophy and, hopefully, in Tests.”

Suryakumar has a decent red-ball record, having scored 5628 runs in 82 first-class matches at an average of 43.62. This includes 14 hundreds and 29 fifties. He could be a key player on turning tracks, where he can bring his attacking game to the fore. But he underlined the need to tailor his game to suit the demands of the format, and not bat like he would in a T20 game.

“It’s necessary to adapt to the conditions well,” he said. “In Mumbai, you have red soil, but here [in Coimbatore] it is black soil and the wickets are a bit different. You have to be one step ahead in the challenging longest format and can’t bat like how you would in a T20.

“But at the same time, intent is imperative. Everything else will take care of itself when you play. You can’t go into the game and ponder too much. You just have to go out, put your heart into it and enjoy the game. Stay humble if you do well. Go back to the drawing board and start again if you don’t.”