New Delhi [India], September 1 : Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh marked his return to competitive cricket in the ongoing Duleep Trophy after spending the past few months with India's squad on the tour of England for the gruelling five-match Test series, as per the official website of ICC.
Despite not featuring in the Indian lineup in England, Arshdeep concedes that he spent the past few months soaking in the experience of his teammates, with the most valuable insight coming from India's premier pacer Mohammed Siraj.
Opening up on the key piece of wisdom he received, Siraj told reporters in the backdrop of the domestic season, "In Test cricket or red-ball cricket, there is a time when the day gets boring," as quoted from the official website of ICC.
He added, "In the session after lunch, mostly the ball doesn't do anything. So, how can you enjoy that?"
"I spoke to (Mohammed) Siraj and he told me that when nothing is happening, how you enjoy that phase would tell you how successful you could be in red-ball cricket. He gave me this small tip. I really liked it," he noted
Arshdeep's previous competitive outing was the Indian Premier League (IPL) final nearly three months ago, and although he did not get the opportunity to earn his maiden Test cap in the England series, the 26-year-old added that he spent significant time training, keeping himself ready for whenever the opportunity arises.
"When you are not playing, you just try to push your limits. The training is almost the same," he said.
"You just put in more work when you are not playing. More overs, more strength work, more training, so that whenever you get the chance, you are ready and fully fit to go," he added.
"I don't know how many thousands of balls I would have bowled in practice. It's not like there was a lack of bowling. I was properly managing my workload. The aim is to stay ready whenever you get a chance," he noted.
India's next assignment is the Asia Cup, where Arshdeep is set to play a bigger role and is expected to lead the pace attack alongside Jasprit Bumrah.
"Right from the last Test (at The Oval), I had started practising with a white ball. I didn't know that there was a Duleep Trophy match in between," Arshdeep said.
"At the end of the day, red ball, white ball or pink ball, you have to play cricket and try and enjoy it," he noted.
The upcoming continental tournament will be a key preparation for Asia's finest teams ahead of next year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
India will begin their Asia Cup campaign against UAE on September 10 in Dubai.
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