West Indies vs India 2016: Stuart Binny speaks about his role in the Indian Test team
Indian cricketer Stuart Binny, who is part of the Indian squad that will face off against the West Indies in a 4-Test series – starting later today, has said that his role in the team is to keep the fast bowlers fresh by bowling a few tidy overs. Indian captain Virat Kohli hinted at playing five bowlers in the press conference yesterday, which could mean that either Binny or Ravindra Jadeja will play as an all-rounder to add balance to the composition of the team.
The Bengaluru-born all-rounder mentioned that he will concentrate on swing, which he considers as his strength. He also spoke about his batting and considers the role he will be required to play as a crucial one considering the position he usually bats at if he’s given a chance in the XI.
Speaking to BCCI.tv, Binny said: “My job is simple when it comes to bowling, it's about bowling good lengths and keeping the runs to the minimum. By doing that I need to bowl spell that keeps our fast bowlers fresh. I am also going to stick to my strength which is to swing the ball.
“I enjoy batting at the tale as it is more of a challenge to bat at this position. It is the time in the Test match when second new ball comes into play. It is a very crucial part which I am enjoying at the moment. In most of my career in first class cricket, I have come to bat at number 6 or 7. It is nothing new to me and will look to replicate what I have done earlier.”
Binny played in India’s second warm-up match against the WICB President XI and picked up 1 wicket in the match, while scoring 16 with the bat. The Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketer spoke about how the match helped him prepare for the Test series.
“I got opportunity to play in the second warm up game which help me understand the wicket and the conditions here. I didn't get many runs but it prepared me mentally on how to go out for the series. Test cricket is all about being consistent, some people call it boring but you got to tie down on one end and hope that batsman makes mistakes as he struggles to get runs. Main objective in Test cricket is to bowl in one area,” he said.
The 32-year-old has played 6 Tests for the Indian team so far, scoring 194 runs at an average of 21.55 and has 3 wickets to his name.