Mohammad Kaif reveals reason behind him and Yuvraj Singh failing in Test cricket

Back in the early 2000's, Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh were two of the best fielders in Team India which was captained by current BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. With the presence of senior players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and VVS Laxman in the side, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif managed to cement their place in the ODI setup, making India a strong outfit.  

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Despite impressing the fans in the ODI setup, both the players failed to make their mark in Test cricket. Recently while speaking to The Times of India, Mohammad Kaif spoke about the struggle about finding a place in the red-ball format and how intense was the competition to get into the team.

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Mohammad Kaif on why he and Yuvraj Singh failed to find the spot in Test cricket 

In his interview, Mohammad Kaif said that the Indian team under Sourav Ganguly was full of big players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag and that is why he and Yuvraj Singh could not play many Tests. Mohammad Kaif also said that he got a chance to play against England in Nagpur (in 2006) when someone got in the team injured but after that, the player got fit and he was dropped again. He further said that since the team was strong and also had players that inspired them, he didn’t get many chances to play. Kaif conceded that Yuvraj Singh was a much better player than him for deserving more opportunities at the Test level.

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Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh's international careers

Mohammad Kaif ended up playing just 13 Test matches for India in which he accumulated 624 runs at an average of just 32.84 with one century to his name. His ODI career record is much better compared to Tests, having accumulated 2753 runs from 125 matches. Mohammad Kaif was instrumental in Team India reaching the final of the 2003 World Cup as well as helping the team win the 2002 Natwest Series final against England at Lords.

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On the other hand, Yuvraj Singh had a decorated career in which he won three ICC tournaments. Yuvraj Singh went on to play  304 ODIs for India, scoring 8701 runs. The Punjab cricketer was instrumental in India lifting the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 Cricket World Cup. Coming to his Test career, Yuvraj Singh played just 40 matches and scored 1900 runs.

Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh's Natwest Trophy heroics  

The 2002 Natwest Series final between India and England is one of the most memorable matches for Indian cricket fans. Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif were instrumental in helping India snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The duo put on a 121-run partnership after India lost the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and skipper Sourav Ganguly early in the innings. While Yuvraj Singh scored 69 runs and could not finish the match for India, Kaif stayed at the crease till the end to guide the Men in Blue across the finish line. 

(IMAGE: MOHAMMAD KAIF / INSTAGRAM)