Arshdeep Singh working towards Test return, keeping selection hopes alive

India pacer Arshdeep Singh understands quite well that his relatively low count of first-class appearances may not be considered "ideal preparation" as he pursues his Test dreams but he insists that it is in no way a reflection of his readiness for the traditional format.

One of India's premier bowlers in the limited-overs format, Arshdeep has only played 24 first-class matches since his debut in December 2019.

The match Nos. 23 and 24 came in this season's Duleep Trophy. Before these games, Arshdeep had not played first-class cricket for nearly a year. He looked to make the most of the opportunity in the Duleep Trophy, where his team, North Zone, crashed out in the semifinal stage.

 

"I do everything that is within my control to be ready for the (Test) call-up," Arshdeep, who joined his Sher-e-Punjab side Ludhiana Lions right after the Duleep Trophy, told PTI in an exclusive interaction.

"The long gaps in First-Class games may not be ideal for preparation, but I can only focus on the things I can do to be ready when I get the chance," he said.

"Competing for the Test side is an honour that I'm very much looking forward to, and I'm confident in my ability to make a difference for India," he insisted.

The 27-year-old left-arm pacer said understanding the "mechanics" of his body while playing in the Duleep Trophy was one of the primary tasks he worked on.

"As a fast bowler, it is usually tough on the body to play first-class games that can sometimes be very demanding. But as a fast bowler, I also take immense pride in managing this workload and bringing out my best each time I run in to bowl," Arshdeep said.

"The main learning has been to understand the mechanics of my own body and most importantly to listen to it when it comes to managing the limits of my own physicality. Recovery is extremely crucial," said the two-time T20 World Cup winner.

Playing on spin-friendly tracks at Bengaluru's Centre of Excellence was another challenge, but one that Arshdeep said was crucial to overcome as a fast bowler.

"I saw the challenge of bowling on spin-friendly tracks as a chance to hone my own skills to bowl in any track conditions," he said of the pitches at COE.

"The faster you learn how to read each track and adjust your skill to get the best out of the track, the more crucial a bowler will be for his team every single time," he reasoned.

Arshdeep is among the several Punjab players, including Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Gurnoor Brar and even Prabhsimran Singh, who have formed the fulcrum of Indian sides across formats, especially in T20Is.

Arshdeep says Punjab players can easily fit into any T20 squad.

"Punjab has a strong bunch of players that can easily make a difference in any T20 squad that they are a part of. This league becomes another opportunity for them to put all this talent and preparation to the test," he said.

"Another advantage of this league is the number of senior players within each squad that have played pivotal roles for whatever team they have been a part of. Any and every young player can only learn and benefit from a set up like this.

"I know first-hand that one can absorb by just watching senior players go about their business on the field," he said.

Arshdeep did not get an opportunity to play in the tournament as he had to join the national side in Delhi for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which would be followed by the Asian Games in Japan.

The games against Afghanistan begin on September 13, followed by the Asian Games in Japan where the cricket competition for the Indian team will start September 28 in the quarterfinal stage.

"Any and every chance that cricketers get to put themselves in real match situations only helps them for the bigger occasions. A league like this can help in multiple ways, such as keeping in good form, trying things that you want to maybe execute at the Asian Games," he said.