Saurabh received a call-up along with Sundar and Sarfaraz after Jadeja and Rahul suffered injuries.
Saurabh received a sudden call-up along with Washington Sundar and Sarfaraz Khan after Ravindra Jadeja and KL Rahul were ruled out of the second Test due to hamstring and quadriceps injuries, respectively.
Saurabh was part of the Indian Test squad for the home series against Sri Lanka in 2022, but he didn’t get a chance back then.
While there is no guarantee that the left-arm spinner will make his debut in Visakhapatnam ahead of Kuldeep Yadav or Sundar, he certainly has another opportunity to share the dressing room with some of the big names of Indian cricket like Rohit Sharma or R Ashwin.
“It has always been a dream to be a part of the Indian team. I mean which cricketer wouldn’t want that? Lot of things need to come together for it, but I have had a bit of experience,” Saurabh Kumar said, as quoted by PTI.
The “experience” that Saurabh mentioned was the opportunity to be a bowler at India nets during England’s tour in 2021.
“Not everyday you will get a chance to bowl to a Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, especially if you are a domestic player. They hardly play in Ranji Trophy or other domestic matches because of national commitments.
“So, it was a chance for me to have a closer look at them and study how they approach their game and their other routines. It was a great experience to bowl to and interact with some top-level players. There was so much to learn from them,” he explained.
Travelling with the Indian contingent as a net bowler could be seen as a recognition of his consistency in domestic cricket, but even then, Saurabh had to rise above a tall blockade.
Known for his never-give-up attitude, Kumar was always ready to put in hard yards in the nets.
“Bishan sir (late Bishan Singh Bedi) used to tell me to keep working hard and be mentally ready to give my best whenever the opportunity comes. I never really keep myself away from nets or bowling,” he said.
Saurabh Kumar used to attend Bedi’s summer camps in Delhi to fine-tune his skills under the guidance of the master.
Saurabh, 30, has the experience of 68 first-class matches under his belt, claiming 290 wickets at an average of 24.41 with 22 five-wicket hauls. He recently starred with both bat and ball in India A’s victory over England Lions by an innings and 16 runs in Ahmedabad, returning with 77 runs and six wickets.
(With PTI Inputs)