Virat Kohli is a Dominant Personality on and off the Field: Jayant Yadav

Jayant Yadav played four Tests and one ODI during the 2016-17 season, during which he nearly cemented his spot as India’s third spinner in subcontinent conditions after R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. However, he tapered off the scene and hasn’t played for India since the Test against Australia at Pune in 2017, which India lost.

Yadav suffered a stress fracture of the finger and was sidelined from the Ranji Trophy 2017-18, after which he hasn’t yet been close to selection. However, he hasn’t given up hopes yet. All he wants is ‘one good Ranji season’ as the selectors have already seen what he can do in international cricket.

“You can’t always think about getting into a particular team. Only 15 people are selected. It’s a very competitive sport,” he told ESPNcricinfo.

“To make a comeback in the Indian Test team you have to be relentless and keep knocking on the door. I think one good Ranji season will get me back in the reckoning. Everybody has seen what I can do, the pros and cons. I’ve been there. It’s about having that good season, getting into the India A set-up again, starting from scratch. If you do well in Ranji Trophy and then do well in India A, then only you get into the Test team. It’s a very good filter.”

Yadav also refused to blame the injury for his downfall and instead chose to look at the brighter side.

“I think I had decent opportunities. I played Ranji Trophy, I played a good one, one and a half years in the A team regularly,” he said. “I have had opportunities after that. I went to England, I played Sri Lanka (for India A).”

Among Yadav’s highest points in his brief international career was the 104 against England in the third Test in Mumbai, where he shared a 241-run stand with Virat Kohli.

Yadav recalled the knock, saying batting with the Indian captain was ‘fun’.

“Virat never let the pressure get to me,” he said. “He was telling me, ‘Play however you are doing. Don’t think too much about getting runs, or what will this bowler bowl in his next spell. Just play every ball. Build it, build it.’ It was like things just fell into place. Actually I was out, I don’t know at what score but I nicked the ball off Moeen Ali. But they didn’t have a review remaining.

“Batting with Virat was fun. They kept putting fielders back because Virat was hitting boundaries at will. That helped me as well. He is such a dominant personality on the field and off it, it makes life much easier for his batting partner.”