 agencies
NEW DELHI, Feb 8: Test cricket is indeed a different ball game, but Suryakumar Yadav with his amazing skill-set and the ability to think out of the box is "perfectly equipped" to play the traditional format, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar opined on Wednesday. In a wide-ranging interview with PTI, Tendulkar spoke about the importance of match-ups, sweep shot against spinners, brilliance of Ravichandran Ashwin and the understated importance of Cheteshwar Pujara, who is gearing up to play his 99th Test at Jamtha on Thursday.
"From entering into T20s and ODIs and now in the Test squad, he has made an incredible impression around the globe. Whoever follows Surya, they fall in love with his ability and way he thinks," Tendulkar said
But Test cricket is going to be different. Surya looks perfectly equipped to play Test cricket. Someone of his calibre should be considered along with KL Rahul and Shubman Gill. All three are capable players and I don't want to pass any judgement here but all three are capable enough to walk into the team," he said.
Tendulkar, Test cricket's highest run scorer, did not want to be dragged into the debate on ideal playing XI but said consistency is a must to retain spot in the team.
"I don't want to get into team combinations and all that. But if we get into recent past, Shubman Gill has been in good form and Rahul hasn't been able to contribute, but such is life. You go through these ups and downs. They both are excellent players and to retain position in the team, one has to continue scoring runs," Tendulkar said when asked whether the team management would struggle to finalise the playing eleven.
Talking about India's No. 1 batter Virat Kohli and his return to form in white-ball cricket, Tendulkar said it augurs well for the team ahead of Test series against Australia.
"With the way he has played in last few months, I really liked watching that, very assertive, very certain of what he wanted to do."
Tendulkar would be certainly watching the keen contest between Nathan Lyon and Kohli as that would be one of the great match-ups.
"World cricket needs these kind of rivalries. It is important to have those rivalries and remember when Australia had come in 1998, it was termed Warne vs Tendulkar and I had to remind everyone that it is not Warne vs Tendulkar but Australia vs India. But everyone likes to see such rivalries." |
