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Indian T20I batting sensation Suryakumar Yadav expressed his desire to "earn a spot" in the Indian Test team, saying that red-ball cricket is a priority for him.
India is scheduled to play 10 Tests over the next few months. Although a regular in India's white-ball setup, Suryakumar has played only one Test - against Australia in February 2023, scoring eight runs in his solitary Test inning. In the same year, he was named as one of the reserves in the ICC World Test Championship Final squad. With Shreyas Iyer, Sarfaraz Khan, KL Rahul and Rajat Patidar also fighting for a spot, Suryakumar acknowledges the uphill task ahead of him. "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 as quoted by ICC. "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," he added. The 33-year-old will return to play red-ball cricket in the Duleep Trophy - India's domestic tournament - for his home side Mumbai. Suryakumar will also make his appearance in the Buchi Babu tournament. Looking ahead to the action, Suryakumar is focused on making a positive impact. "Going forward, if I have to play, then I will automatically play. That is not in my control. What is in my power right now is to play the Buchi Babu tournament, go on to play the Duleep Trophy and then see what happens," said the batter. "But yes, I am really looking forward (to it). There are ten Test matches lined up and I'm obviously excited for some red-ball fun," he added. In 82 first-class matches, he has scored 5,628 runs with a healthy average of 43.62 with 14 hundreds to his name. In a bid to find his way into the Test squad, he emphasises that the longest format has always been his priority. "Red-ball cricket has always been my priority. When I grew up in the maidans (grounds) 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," added Suryakumar. "I have taken part in a lot of first-class matches for more than ten years now and I still cherish playing this format," he concluded. (ANI)
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