I feel sad and disappointed that I am not in the Test team: Hanuma Vihari

Hanuma Vihari

Andhra batter Hanuma Vihari stated that he feels disappointed as he was not picked in India’s Test squad. His comments came after Andhra Pradesh beat Bihar by 157 runs at the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium to register their third consecutive win in the ongoing Ranji Trophy tournament.

Andhra have so far won five games and are placed second in the Elite Group B at this stage, behind Mumbai. Vihari has been key for his side, scoring 365 runs in seven innings thus far. He is the second-highest run-scorer behind new captain Ricky Bhui, who has scored 550 runs. The 30-year-old stated that he is aiming to score more runs with a focus on getting a place in India’s Test team.

“I do feel sad and disappointed that I am not in the Test team, but everyone goes through ups and downs, and my job now is to score runs in the Ranji Trophy. The season has gone all right, both for the team and for me. So the ambition is to score a lot of runs and try to return to the Test team,” Vihari told ESPNcricinfo after Andhra’s win.

The 30-year-old further stated that he hasn’t had many discussions with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the national selectors, except a chat with current head coach Rahul Dravid. His last Test appearance was in July 2022 at Edgbaston where he could score l 20 and 11 runs in a seven-wicket loss.

“No one has spoken to me recently, but Rahul Dravid did speak to me after my last Test, and he told me what I can improve on, but no, I haven’t been in touch with anyone since then. But I only think about improving my game and enjoying it. If I don’t do that, there is no purpose left. When I go into the middle, I just want to do my best for the team and score runs. I am at a stage [in my career] where I have no expectations. I give my best each time I bat and then whatever happens will happen,” he added.