The three-match Test series between India and New Zealand is all set to get underway on Wednesday (October 16) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.
Before they embark on a challenging tour of Australia next month, Team India will hope to strengthen their position on top of the 2023-25 World Test Championship table by defeating the Kiwis at home.
Ahead of the first Test, India’s four prominent cricketers – Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin – revealed what playing the game's traditional format means to them.
"If I were to describe Test cricket in one word, it would be 'respect'," said Siraj, who has claimed 78 wickets in 29 Tests so far.
"To bowl with a new ball in a Test match is a different feeling, difficult to describe that."
Kuldeep, who has 53 scalps to his name from 12 Tests, sees Test cricket as a chance and an examination for a player.
"You need temperament and you should know how to maintain patience. I love the red ball because it allows you the chance to showcase your skills," the wrist-spinner said.
Jadeja, a veteran of 74 Test caps, believes the format is the true test of a cricketer's skills and endurance over five days.
"For five days, you have to come and maintain the same energy, same intensity. You have to put in the same effort on all days," said the all-rounder, who has taken 303 wickets and scored 3130 runs in Test cricket so far.
The video ended with the legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin sharing his thoughts on the longest format and how it has helped him evolve as a cricketer.
"The excitement still remains. When you start a Test, the excitement of the match starting, what the pitch is going to offer, what is this particular ground going to offer, what will the opposition be playing like -- all these things are constantly running in your head," the off-spinner said.
With 527 wickets in 102 Tests, Ashwin is widely regarded as one of the greatest spinners produced by India. His illustrious Test career also includes 3423 Test runs, featuring six hundreds and 14 half-centuries.
"Aspiring to play this format enables you to keep improving on a day-to-day basis. The fact that you are looking forward to something and getting better as a cricketer is why Test cricket is amazing," he said.
"Test cricket is nothing but life. It's an extension of what your lifestyle is. If you have got a decent lifestyle, where it is disciplined and has a good routine, there is a better chance that you will be able to adapt and play Test cricket for a long time."
