How would you explain your meteoric rise in international cricket in the last two years?
It’s not been easy at all and I’ve had to work really hard for everything. People said I don’t have the temperament and technique to succeed in Tests but I always wanted to do well in Test cricket. I’ve seen lows in life when I’ve set goals and haven’t been able to achieve them. So I’d decided that whenever I get the opportunity, I’ll try and make up for all those lost years. That’s one reason why I’m never complacent and don’t take any innings for granted. Even if I’ve scored a hundred in the previous innings, I’d still begin the next innings the same way.
You always stress on the importance of playing for the team. Do you think this was missing in the initial period of your career when you always had to play to secure your place in the side?
Yes, possibly, because initially when you get into the side you don’t feel that you belong to the international level and you always play for your place in the side, which makes you more anxious. But as you keep performing and feeling secure, the team starts expecting you to win games rather than just scoring runs, and later as a senior batsman, you have to lead from the front.
The pressure never ends, it just keeps changing. And you have to live with these pressures when you’re playing for a country like India. I’m such a person that if I don’t get runs in three or four innings, I start feeling insecure, and right now that pressure is working for me.
What kept you going during the rough phase of your career and did you ever think of quitting cricket?
Yes I did, especially after the 2007 World Cup, which was the lowest phase of my career. There was a time when I didn’t play or practice for two m
onths. But sometimes, having less options can be a blessing in disguise. I knew there’s nothing much else that I could do because cricket had always been my top-most priority.
This phase in life made me mentally tough. If I had given up at that time, I would’ve never been able to hold my head high and be happy in life. So, I decided to just fight it out.
What were the technical changes you made in your batting?
"As I matured with age, I realised I had to pick between aggression and consistency, and I chose to be consistent."
Earlier, I used to fall across and shuffle a lot, which made me a big lbw candidate. I’ve put in a lot of work to change all that. Also, when Sri Lanka toured India, Chaminda Vaas always tried to get me out lbw. So, I started walking down the track to deny him the option of lbw. It worked for me and I started doing it against other bowlers as well. But at the international level, with so much technology around, you always have to keep improving to stay ahead of your opposition, even when you’re scoring runs.
Does batting with left-hand despite being predominantly a right-hander help you technically?
That’s a good question. Yes, I am predominantly a right-hander but I picked up the bat for the first time with left hand. I don’t know how that came about. But yes, that’s an advantage, I feel because when I’m batting, my top hand is my strong hand and so playing with soft bottom comes naturally to me.
Five centuries in five Tests – it would’ve been very difficult not to think about Sir Don Bradman’s record when you went in to bat in the sixth Test.
Absolutely! Becau
se there was a lot of talk everywhere – within the team, in the media – about the record. Obviously, you’re not god that you could be immune to all that. So there were things going on in my mind. I started feeling nervous after reaching my fifty and started putting pressure on myself thinking that I’m just 50 runs away from the record. But then, I think five in five is also a big achievement. I never thought it would happen and when it did, I was pretty happy.
Talk us through your epic 137-run knock in Napier.
I remember after batting on day-three (on 14), I called up a friend and told him that I have a very strong feeling that I’m going to save the Test. With the fielders standing close all the time, my mental toughness was put to test much more than my physical strength or technical ability and I wanted to prove to myself that I am tough enough to absorb all that pressure. There were times during that knock when I didn’t utter a single word in the entire session. I was focusing so hard and I didn’t want to lose my concentration. I kept telling myself not to be bothered about what’s happening around me and just watch the ball and keep batting.
It was always on my mind that we’re one-up in the series and I knew if we save this match, we’ll be able to win the series in New Zealand after (41) years. I remember, Zaheer told me that if you save this Test, I’ll get you a 10-wicket haul in the next match, and he managed to pick up nine (actually seven) wickets. These small things really motivate you. The Napier Test told the world that this team can not only win matches but also has the character to save a match from a hopeless situation.
You seem much calmer and more relaxed in the middle now. Did the ban against Australia have a big role to play?
Yes it did, because when you’re in such good form, you can’t miss a game and let your team down. If India would have lost the Nagpur Test, I’d have taken a lot of blame on myself. When you’re in good form, you should score as many runs as possible because there will be times when you won’t get runs. Just one heated moment and you don’t want to put your team on the backfoot, especially when you’re leading the series. Luckily, we won that match and I learnt a good lesson. I realized I had to choose between my natural aggression and consistency and I chose the latter.
One of the significant aspects of your career is your partnership with Virender Sehwag. Tell us about it.
Yes, I totally ag
ree with that. To have him as my opening partner is the best thing to have happened to me so far. A lot of credit for my success goes to him. He kept telling me when I made my comeback that it’s not about how many fifties you make; scoring big hundreds is what matters. And he keeps telling me even now. Opening is a tough job and it’s good to have someone at the other end with whom I can share anything. I think the reason why we share so many big partnerships is that we love playing with and for each other.
What makes you think that you’re the least talented batsman in the team?
I don’t know, sometimes I feel that way and there’s nothing wrong in it. When you know you don’t have the shots that Sehwag, Yuvraj or Sachin Tendulkar have, you do feel people might not want to watch you bat. Honestly, when I see Viru play some of his shots or see Yuvraj or MS Dhoni hit those big sixes, I think, oh man, these guys can really muscle the ball in style! But then god doesn’t give everything to everyone. When I see these guys bat, sometimes I do feel I’m the least talented batsman in the team.
In the much celebrated Indian batting line-up, how difficult was it for you to establish yourself?
I always knew that with the kind of middle-order India has, if you want to play Test cricket for a long time you’ve got to open the batting. Opening is the toughest job but there’s no other solution if you want to be a permanent member of the side with the Rahuls, Sachins and Laxmans in it. That was the reason why I always opened the batting. It was tough but then when you want to play for your country, nothing comes easy.
