I have always said the most difficult batsman to bowl against is the man who is in form. You may have seen the best batsmen get out early when they are not in form, but an in-form batsman is difficult to dismiss.
— Bhuvneshwar Kumar
If you have good gear and shoes, you can go for long runs and sustain yourself for a longer duration.
When you are injured and undergoing rehab, it is important to stay positive and not allow negative thoughts to creep in.
I have always enjoyed bowling in England because there is some swing around, which is my strength.
When you are playing Under-17 or U-19, the captain is of the same age as the rest of us. His knowledge was also as limited as the other players, so there was greater responsibility on the bowlers to understand themselves and their bowling, read the pitch, and set fields accordingly.
You see teams buy a lot of batsmen for a lot of money because they are good batsmen. But you also need good bowlers to get them out or contain the runs.
Anything that a batsman cannot pick from the wrist is deception.
Stats are something which can't define everything. It could be hiding more things than it shows.
I never thought in my dreams that I would score fifty in One-dayers: not fifty but match-winning knock because One-Day is a kind of format which doesn't suit my batting, as I am not the kind of batsman who can hit big sixes.
When I started playing cricket, I knew that my physique is not at all like a typical fast bowler. My body language is also different, and I am not aggressive by nature; thus, my focus was always on my skills.
People forget that I have grown up playing on Indian tracks and have bowled huge number of overs on unresponsive Indian tracks.
We all know England conditions help fast bowlers.
When it comes to AB de Villiers, he is the best in the world, and you have to be at your best to bowl to him.
In the IPL, I learnt from Dale Steyn. Our bowling styles are quite different, but he is a great bowler, and you can always pick something from the way he bowls. He has given me a lot of tips during matches, which I have tried in my bowling.
I don't bowl at 140 kmph or 150 kmph, so my best chance of getting the batsmen out is by bowling in the right areas and getting it to swing.
You need to plan your bowling. Whenever things are not working for you - like, if you don't get swing - then you have to be ready with a backup plan and try something else.
There are many things that you just observe while watching Steyn. Just seeing him bowl is a great learning in itself.
As to adding variations to my white ball bowling, ever since I started playing IPL, I realised you need variations. You can't survive on line and length. You need coaches around you who can guide you to get there. I have been lucky that I have had seniors and coaches who have helped me get there.
If you do not have good shoes, you can get injured.
Injuries are a part and parcel of a player's career.
There has definitely been an improvement in my bowling in terms of pace and variations like the slower ball and knuckle-ball. To add to that, I have improved fitness-wise.
When I started out, I wasn't a thinking bowler, but talking to seniors and coaches helped. They would always tell me that I ought to be clear about where I wanted to bowl before I ran in to bowl.
You need wickets to be brave. When you get wickets, you can try anything. But when you don't, you always hesitate to try a few things because it is not always about giving runs and getting wickets.
I'm no different than anyone. If you get more games, you're in the rhythm; that gives you confidence.
In India, the wicket tends to get a bit slower once the ball gets old, but in England, it's pretty much the same whether it's new ball or old ball.
As far as I am concerned, my priority is to perform well and win matches for India.
The Oval has always been a good batting track, and there's not much for the bowlers.
It's true that I have got wickets with the new ball in Test matches, but that doesn't mean that I can't bowl with the old ball.
World Cup is a big platform.
It is always disappointing when you miss a match.
I have learnt a lot from Praveen Kumar.
There is no specific formula that you need to follow to do well on certain wickets.
I have improved my pace without losing on the swing. That is something I am really happy about.
It's all about doing the little things right. It doesn't matter what form of cricket you are playing. Just keep things simple, and you will succeed.
I'm a sports lover. Not just cricket - I play badminton and football, too. When I get some time off, I prefer to play sports rather than working out.
Whether you're a batsman, bowler, or an all-rounder, fitness is tough if you follow your regimen religiously.
It is always a good thing that whoever is getting a chance in the playing XI has been performing well.
When I watch a match, I always try to understand what the batsman is trying to do so that I know what I should do to get him out.
When I was a youngster, Praveen Kumar was in the same club as me, and because we are similar bowlers, I learnt a lot from him. We used to have conversations, but not a lot. What was very helpful was observing what he was bowling, the kind of fields he had, and what his thinking was.
Almost every bowler bowls a slower ball, but not many can be deceptive. A slower ball can only be deceptive if it is different, if it is floating, swinging.
Sometimes what happens is you're not getting wickets; you're going for runs. You just want to get away.
When you are bowling with a new ball, there are only two fielders outside the circle. With the old ball, batsmen don't care how many guys are outside the circle.
I don't run after speed. Obviously, it will be better to have some more pace, but I am very well aware that I can't bowl with the speed of 150 kmph. I am working hard on my technique and variations.
I am grateful to Allan Donald for his guidance and subtle nuances that he taught me.
When it comes to batting, I have a lot of expectations from myself.
As a bowler, you want to go and bowl in helpful conditions in South Africa, England, and Australia. But it is also important to bowl in the right areas, and they differ from bowler to bowler, depending on conditions and the opposition.
It always gives you pleasure when you score runs in Test cricket.
It is definitely a good feeling to do well at Lord's.
It feels great that my performances in domestic cricket have been recognised.
Breaks are needed after you play a long tour.
