How do you describe yourself as a batsman? Are you not more in the mould of a Test player?
I wouldn't say so. I think now I can play shots if I want to, and if it is not necessary to play shots, I can play a long innings too. In the last few years I have been getting runs at a quick pace. I have been working on it for a while. Getting runs at a quicker pace is more like one-day cricket.
Today a player has to be good at both the forms of cricket.
Yes, that is what I am working on, and I have improved a lot.
What did you do to improve your batting?
Basically I have learnt all the shots in the book. When you learn all the shots you can get runs whenever you want. You can accelerate whenever you want.
Who has been helping you in that?
I would say my coach, Abdul Jabbar of Chemplast, has been helping me. W V Raman, the Tamil Nadu coach, also helps me out. My dad also gives me a lot of tips.
You started off more as a Test player.
Yes, I was like that. I didn't have many shots too. I was a bit late on the ball, so I couldn't play many shots. But after the tour of Australia in the India 'A' team in July, I have improved a lot. That particular tour has helped me a lot. I started playing fast bowling quite well after that because the Australian pitches are bouncy and hard and they (Australia) have good quality fast bowlers.
Did you have difficulty playing in Australia, initially?
I was struggling a bit, not in Australia but before I went to Australia. I was working on a few things and Robin Singh gave me tips and that helped me a lot in Australia. So, I would say that the tour changed my whole outlook on cricket. I started playing more shots and started getting more runs in the one-day games too.
In Australia, I got a 65 against New Zealand in a one-day game in tough conditions when the team was struggling.
With teams playing more of one-day games and with 20-20 also making its appearance, do you feel playing in Tests is getting affected?
These days players play more shots in Tests too. I wouldn't say it really affects the game; it's all in the mindset. You have to tune your mind to one-day games. And when playing a Test, you have to adjust yourself to that form of game. That is how cricket is played now. You play a one-day game today, and after a few days it will be a Test and then 20-20!
You just cannot say that I am a Test player and cannot play one-dayers. You have to adjust to all types of cricket.
How did you react to the news when you were made captain of the Tamil Nadu Ranji team at such a young age?
I was nervous. To tell you the truth, I was also expecting it, because people were talking about me getting the chance. As you know things were not going well for Tamil Nadu.
The first match was tight. If we had not taken the first innings lead or an outright win, we would have gone one step down. So, there was tremendous pressure in the match against West Bengal. Sourav Ganguly was there. I looked at it as an opportunity and we won the match and got 4 points. We were looking to qualify.
You have a very young team to lead...
In a way, it helps. They are all bubbly and wanting to do well. Being made the captain helped me in my batting. Captaincy can bring you pressure; it can also gives you confidence. Because others look up to you, you tend to work harder. I got a really big score in the second game as captain. I got a double hundred against Delhi.
Going back, how did you get interested in cricket?
I think it runs in my blood. My dad is crazy about cricket. When I was small, my mother says, I was mad about cricket (cricket paithyam). I used to play in the streets, everywhere.
When did you become serious about cricket?
My dad saw my interest in cricket and wanted to channelise my energy properly. So he enrolled me in a cricket academy.
When did you start looking at cricket as a profession?
Since I made my Ranji Trophy debut in 2000. I was 20 then. From then on I knew cricket was going to be my bread and butter. I started playing for Sanmar group's Chemplast team as a professional in the same year. My first Ranji match was against Goa and I got out for 1 or 2 in the 1st innings and in the 2nd innings, I got 30. It wasn't a great debut!
My second match was against Karnataka and I got a hundred, my first first class hundred. My first season was a decent season for me. In the next season, I wasn't there in the squad. In those two years, I was in and out. Yes, it was a difficult period for me. For the last three years I have been playing all the games for Tamil Nadu.
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