Bhuvneshwar Kumar. (Getty Images)
NEW DELHI: It has been quite some time since India’s ‘swing king’
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
was last seen in an Indian Test jersey. The fast bowler from Meerut last played red ball
cricket
in January 2018 against South Africa in Johannesburg, a match
Virat Kohli
’s men won by 63 runs.
Bhuvneshwar, who has been a regular feature in limited overs cricket, has expressed a desire to make a comeback to the Test fold and share the red cherry with the likes of
Mohammed Shami
,
Ishant Sharma
and
Jasprit Bumrah
.
“I definitely want to play Test cricket, but I know it won’t be easy to make a comeback, as everyone is doing very well,” the 30-year-old Bhuvneshwar told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.
“But I’ll try my best and will do everything I can to make a comeback in the Test format, as I think it is the toughest format and it gives a lot of satisfaction to perform well in that format,” Bhuvneshwar, who has played 21 Tests and claimed 63 wickets, said.
The medium pacer made his Test debut in 2013 against Australia under
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
‘s captaincy. He is part of an elite list of bowlers who have claimed a five-wicket haul at the ‘mecca of cricket’, Lord’s. He returned figures of 6 for 82 against the Alastair Cook-led England team in 2014. India had won the match by 95 runs. Bhuvneshwar has 4 five-wicket hauls overall under his belt in Test cricket.
It’s true that fast bowlers and injuries go hand in hand. And it’s no different for Bhuvneshwar.
Bhuvneshwar picked up a groin injury, which was later diagnosed as sports hernia, and had to miss the tour of New Zealand at the beginning of this year. He had to undergo surgery in London in January and then began his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) after returning to India and has been out of action since then.
But he has been fully fit for a while now.
“I have now fully recovered from the injury and am raring to go,” he said.
Will Bhuvneshwar be one of the players selected when the selectors meet to pick the India squad for the next edition of the ICC T20 World Cup? Bhuvi, for now though, is not thinking about that.
“At this moment, I am not thinking about the World Cup selection, it is more important for things to get better and for everyone around us to be safe,” Bhuvneshwar, an ASICS brand athlete, signed off.
