Won’t be an easy comeback but want to play Test cricket, admits Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Seasoned pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has appeared in 21 Tests for India since he made his debut in 2013, last featured in a Test match in January 2018 when India played South Africa at Johannesburg. India won that game, the third Test of the series, but lost the series by 2-1 and Kumar had bagged four wickets in the encounter.

But the pacer, who is a regular for India in limited-overs cricket, wasn’t seen representing India in the longest format again. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma have become the preferred set of pacers in Tests for Team India. Hence, Kumar has admitted that finding a place for himself in the India Test setup would be difficult but added that he hasn’t lost hope on making a comeback. 

"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. 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 told TOI. 

Bhuvneshwar had picked up a groin injury, which was later diagnosed as sports hernia, and had to miss the tour of New Zealand at the start of 2020. He had to undergo surgery in London, in January, following which he began his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), in Bengaluru.

Although he has been away from cricket since his injury, the 30-year-old has attested that he is fully fit now and raring to go. He also admitted that even though the T20 World Cup in Australia might be held in a few months, he is not worried about his selection yet and attested that as of the moment, safety should be prioritized over everything else.

"I have now fully recovered from the injury and am raring to go. 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, added.