The dashing batsman was in Mumbai when Sandeep Patil & Co picked the squad for the Oz challenge, but, Yuvraj was not unduly worried as he had a hint of getting picked. But once it emerged that he was part of the side, his phone began ringing incessantly, so much so that it was not long before the battery ran out.
“I am happy the selectors have reposed faith in me. Now, I have to deliver. I am looking forward to doing well for the team,” Yuvraj told MiD DAY. The left-hander last played for India in January this year. Some uneven performances saw him getting the axe. But the 31-year-old who is hardly amongst those to sit and brood over lost opportunities accepted the challenge and began training with renewed vigour. He underwent a rigorous six-week training programme in Brive La Gaillarde, a market town in France.
“The schedule of fitness really worked. I still follow that schedule,” Yuvraj said about the time he spent in the European city. “My footwork and timing are alright. The bat swing is in order as well. That is why I got runs against West Indies and New Zealand ‘A’ teams. That gave me confidence. Now, I have to capitalise on the opportunity.”
Yuvraj was the leading scorer for India ‘A’ in the 50-over format against the Windies, amassing 224 runs from three matches. His knocks included one century and a fifty at an average of 74.66. He also scored a half-century for India Blue in the Challenger Trophy. Yuvraj’s return to the side coincides with the Indian middle-order wearing a reasonably settled look.
That is why he does not want to interfere with the position that the team would offer him. “It is up to the team management where to play me. I know I have to do well,” he said.
