Suryakumar has represented India in only one Test so far.
India’s T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has expressed his desire to play for the national team in the longest format of the game.
While Suryakumar has impressed one and all with his exploits in T20Is, he is yet to leave a mark in the longer formats. He has represented India in only one Test and 37 ODIs so far.
Yadav’s ODI average of 35.76 suggests that he hasn’t done justice to his exceptional talent. On the other hand, he managed to score eight runs in one innings on his Test debut against Australia last year.
Nonetheless, the dashing right-hander still has a chance to make a comeback to the Test side as he has been picked by the selectors for the upcoming Duleep Trophy, starting September 5.
India are set to play 10 Tests in the next five months – two vs Bangladesh, three vs New Zealand, and five vs Australia. With some tall scores in the domestic circuit, Surya can strengthen his selection claims in the Indian red-ball team.
"There are a lot of people who have worked really hard to earn their place and even I want to earn that spot again," Suryakymar told media on the sidelines of the Buchi Babu tournament.
"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.
"Going forward, if I have to play, then I will automatically play. That's not in my control. What's in my power right now is to play the Buchi Babu tournament, go on to play the Duleep Trophy and then see what happens. But yes, I'm really looking forward. There are ten Test matches lined up and I'm obviously excited for some red-ball fun."
After the Buchi Babu fixture for Mumbai in Coimbatore, Surya will travel to Anantapur for the Duleep Trophy. He is part of the India C squad, which will be led Ruturaj Gaikwad.
"Red-ball cricket has always been my priority," Suryakumar said. "When I grew up in the maidans 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.
"I have taken part in a lot of first-class matches for more than ten years now and I still cherish playing this format. There's no question about it and that's why I'm here before the Duleep Trophy.
"I will always look for an opportunity to come and play for Mumbai, be it in first-class cricket or a tournament like the Buchi Babu. A lot of international players have played in this competition before and have gone on to represent the country."
Suryakumar Yadav sees the upcoming opportunity for Mumbai as a blessing to acclimatise to red-ball cricket before the start of the domestic season.
"We are fortunate to have this tournament because we don't get many multi-day games back home during this weather," he said. "Yes, you can practise for a couple of hours, but standing in the heat for six hours and doing that three or four days in a row is only possible through a game. That's very important going forward in the Duleep Trophy and, hopefully, in Tests."
Suryakumar Yadav has played 82 first-class matches, scoring 5628 runs at an average of 43.62 with 14 hundreds and 29 half-centuries.
(ESPNCricinfo Inputs)