Mumbai Aug 8: Talented left-arm seamer RP Singh has made a comeback in the Indian squad as a replacement for the injured Zaheer Khan who has been ruled out of the remainder of the Test series against England.
After his selection in the squad, RP Singh spoke to various media organisations about this unexpected opportunity.
"I know I have been away from international cricket for some time now, but I have been maintaining my fitness and bowling a lot in the nets. I can vouch [for the fact that] I am match fit and will not disappoint the selectors," RP said from Delhi, from where he is to leave for England.
Speaking about his comeback after almost two years, the bowler said, “Being dropped was painful, but I knew I had lost my rhythm and swing. Before this season, though, I started practicing with synthetic and wet tennis balls and that has helped me immensely. I know that I will do well in England because the conditions suit my style of bowling.”
When India beat England 1-0 in 2007 under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid, it was the visitors’ first win in England after a hiatus of 21 years. A young RP had claimed 12 wickets and was India’s third highest wicket-taker after Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan. "We won that series 1-0, and I enjoyed bowling on English wickets. I would love to repeat my feat on English soil," he was quoted as saying.
In India’s last tour to England in 2007, the two left-armers, RP and Zaheer Khan, had tormented the hosts, taking an incredible 30 wickets together in the three-match Test series – a record for India in away Tests in the last decade. Given India’s situation in the ongoing Test series, MS Dhoni would want to have that kind of combination at his disposal, but with Zaheer out of the frame, it will be a huge ask for RP.
“That is the goal, though,” he said. “Having spent so much time away from the [Indian] team, there’s nothing more I’d like to do than take the next plane to England, go to the nets and bowl my heart out. It’s probably unreasonable to think that I’ll be picked in the XI, but honestly I’m not thinking about it that much. I just want to go there and bowl.”
RP Singh last played a Test match in 2008 and his last ODI appearance was in 2009. In the last two Tests he played - against South Africa at home - the left-arm bowler went wicket-less.
Dropped after below-par international performances, domestic cricket success, too, eluded him. His stint in the Indian Premier League 2011 with the Kochi Tuskers Kerala, however, made people sit up and take notice. In a Kochi Tuskers Kerala match against the Mumbai Indians, where bowlers from both sides were buried under a mountain of 366 runs, RP gave away just 15 runs in his four overs. India would be hoping Singh is in top form as he heads to England to join the struggling visitors.
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