Pacer Mukesh Kumar missed out from India’s playing XI for the 1st Test match against South Africa in Centurion. However, the speedster made the opportunity count with his performance in the 2nd Test match at the Newlands stadium, Cape Town. He expressed satisfaction with his performance by fulfilling the role assigned to him by the team management.

India won the 2nd Test match by 7 wickets and levelled the 2-match series 1-1. While Jasprit Bumrah, with 6/61 in the 3rd innings and Mohammed Siraj, with 6/15 in the 1st innings, stole the show for India with their bowling, Mukesh emerged as India’s 3rd best seamer by picking 4 wickets in the match. Mukesh replaced Shardul Thakur in the 2nd Test match and showed what India was missing out on in the 1st Test.

Mukesh reflected on his performance in the Test match and seemed satisfied with his bowling in Cape Town.

“I think I have been able to fulfil the role assigned by the team management. I am satisfied with my bowling and best part is that I have worked hard and tried my best,” Mukesh told PTI.

Mukesh, who made his Test debut for India in the series against West Indies in July 2023. He was playing only his 2nd Test match. The pacer showed his understanding of the game and talked about the different conditions, according to which the bowlers need to adjust. He elaborated on bowling on Indian pitches and how it is different from bowling on the South African pitches. He explained the strategies opted by the Indian bowlers on foreign soil.

“There’s a lot of difference between bowling on these kinds of tracks as compared to Indian pitches,” said Mukesh.

“In India, when you try to bowl fuller length, the ball moves in the air, but here, if you try to bowl too full, you get smashed. So we decided that we would bowl between 6 and 8 metres length (back of length). And since there is a lot of bounce on offer, you can get wickets,” Mukesh added.

The Indian team engaged in an intense practice session after they lost the 1st Test by an innings and 32 runs. Mukesh bowled to skipper Rohit Sharma in the nets for an hour. He revealed the advice that Rohit gave him.

“He always tells us about areas to bowl when we seek feedback in the nets. They would tell us ‘if you pitch the ball in this particular length and channel you can trouble us.”

The bowler will be hoping to be picked in the India’s squad for the 5-match Test series against England that begins on January 25 in Hyderabad.

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