'Want to play Test cricket for India again' - Bhuvneshwar Kumar

After starring with the ball in both the T20I and ODI series wins against England, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has set his sights on making a comeback to the Indian Test team

India's affable 'swing king' has been troubled by a spate of injuries in the recent past. The last time he donned the white jersey was way back in 2018, against South Africa in Johannesburg.

At the post-match press conference after the third ODI, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who took 3-42, talked about his desire to return to the Indian Test fold, observing:

"Red-ball cricket is definitely in my radar. I am preparing myself by keeping red-ball cricket in mind. It is my aim to play Test cricket for India again, and I will make sure I am ready.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a class apart in this series. He's drawn a false shot with 26.3% of his deliveries, the highest of any bowler on either side. As they say - Bhuvi is back. #INDvENG

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) March 28, 2021

While reflecting that he has learnt not to plan too far ahead, Bhuvneshwar Kumar opined that he has worked on his fitness during his time out of action.

He also said that he would continue to manage his workload to ensure he stays fit for India's tour of England in August. Bhuvneshwar Kumar observed in this regard:

"I don't like to plan too far ahead because there have have been many times in the past when things have not gone aaccording to my plans, whether it was due to injuries or lack of form. But I am working on managing my workload. I worked hard on my fitness when I was out of action, as you have to be fit to be able to play international cricket consistently. There's the England tour coming up, so I will make sure I keep myself fit."

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Achieved what I wanted from these eight matches against England: Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the limited over series against England:2-0-15-04-0-28-14-0-27-04-1-30-14-0-15-29-0-30-210-0-63-110-0-42-3Welcome back, Bhuvi.

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 28, 2021

The eight limited-overs matches (five T20Is and three ODIs) against England marked a comeback of sorts for Bhuvneshwar Kumar after the thigh injury he sustained during IPL 2020 in October.

India would be delighted by the return of one of their most dependable bowlers, considering the performances of the 31-year-old, especially in the three ODI matches where he took six wickets,

Bhuvneshwar Kumar unlucky not to be named player of the series?Wickets: 6️⃣Average: 2️⃣2️⃣.5️⃣0️⃣Economy: 4️⃣.6️⃣5️⃣#INDvENG pic.twitter.com/1c9qGONuwF

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) March 28, 2021

Bhuvneshwar Kumar also made sure that he saved his best for the last, as his brilliant swing bowling in the all-important third ODI accounted for England's dangerous opening pair of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow early in the innings.

His early wickets were crucial in India edging a high-scoring thriller by seven runs despite Sam Curran's heroics (95) almost threateninb an unlikely England win.

Reviewing his performance in the series, Bhuvneshwar Kumar said that even though he was satisfied with the results, he will keep working on improving his bowling further.

"There's always something you can improve on. Yes, I got what I wanted to get in these eight matches. But there's always something to work on, whether it be variations or fitness," concluded Bhuvneshwar Kumar.