Bhuvneshwar Kumar eager to make Test comeback despite stiff competition

Bhuvneshwar Kumar eager to make Test comeback: The Indian quick wants to once again play in cricket’s ancestral format at the highest level.

Had it not been for the COVID-19 pandemic, India quick Bhuvneshwar Kumar would have been playing the 13th season of the Indian Premier League for SunRisers Hyderabad.

Having made a comeback into the ODI team alongside batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill and all-rounder Hardik Pandya for the home series against South Africa, Bhuvneshwar missed out on playing for India as the series got postponed as an aftermath of coronavirus scare.

Speaking to The Times of India in a latest interview, the 30-year old player admitted recovering fully from multiple injuries which saw missing a large chunk of the year 2019.

“I have now fully recovered from the injury and am raring to go. At this moment, I am not thinking about the [T20] World Cup selection, it is more important for things to get better and for everyone around us to be safe,” Bhuvneshwar was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar eager to make Test comeback despite stiff competition

Having last played a Test for India during the tour of South Africa more than two years ago, Bhuvneshwar has expressed eagerness to return to cricket’s ancestral format understanding that the same won’t be easy due to the stiff competition among fast bowlers.

“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 said.

In the last two years, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav have sort of  cemented their Test spots. The fact that someone of Yadav’s ability has to warm the bench on most occasions speaks highly about the cut-throat competition among Indian Test fast bowlers.

There is no hiding to the fact that Bhuvneshwar would be eyeing white-ball cricket to press his case for Test matches. Primarily known for his skill of containing the batsmen, whenever cricket resumes will be a crucial phase in Bhuvneshwar’s career.