Doing my best to earn a Test cap, reveals Vijay Shankar

A calm-headed figure who inspires confidence with the bat and can contribute overs with the ball, Vijay Shankar’s presence on the Indian domestic circuit has grown in stature over the past couple of years and the Tamil Nadu man has managed to stay in the radar of the national selectors through his consistent performances. Despite having played 21 limited-over games for India, Shankar, who boasts a first-class batting average over 44, is widely regarded by many as a better fit for Test cricket and he almost made his Test debut in 2017, after being called up for the Nagpur Test against Sri Lanka.

Despite considering himself as an all-rounder, be it by the national team or the state side, the 29-year-old has primarily been used as a specialist batsman and the Tamil Nadu man expressed his disappointment over his bowling ability being under-utilized. The all-rounder also added that he felt that he could have become a better bowler had he bowled more in his career.

“Whenever I get the ball, I should be ready to do well. I got into that mode a little later. If you ask me, as a cricketer it is very important to keep doing things regularly for them to be at their best. Maybe if I had bowled more, I would have been a better bowler.”

Making his World Cup debut against Pakistan at Old Trafford in 2019, Shankar, after being summoned to bowl by the captain due to injury to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, struck on his very first ball, and the all-rounder branded that moment ‘special’. The Tamil Nadu man revealed that his primary focus was just to bowl in the right areas, which he did.