The Indian team is gearing for the final leg of the home Test season as they host New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on October 16, Wednesday. The official social media handle of the BCCI shared a special video as the players talked about the ‘red cherry love’. Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj described Test cricket as ‘respect’ and said that it’s tough to describe the feeling of bowling with a new ball. Ravichandran Ashwin also spilt his thoughts and said that the format is ‘nothing but life’. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja also talked about being patient and giving the same energy every day of the game.

“The excitement still remains when you start the Test match. There is excitement about what the pitch is going to offer. What this particular ground is going to offer, what the opposition is going to play like. All these things are constantly running in your head. I think aspiring to play in this very format enables you to keep improving on a day-today basis. The fact that you are looking forward to something and getting better as a cricketer. Test cricket is nothing but life. It’s an extension of what your life is. If you got a decent lifestyle where there is discipline and a good routine, there is a better chance you will be able to play Test cricket for a long time,” Ashwin said in the video posted by the BCCI.

Watch the video here

The video showed the Indian team practising hard in the nets ahead of the 1st Test. Ashwin and Jadeja were crucial in the Test series against Bangladesh, and it would be interesting to see if Kuldeep would get a go in the three Tests against New Zealand.

“If I have to define Test cricket in one word, then it is respect. When you bowl with a new ball in Test cricket, its a different feeling altogether. So it’s tough to describe,” Siraj said.

“You need temperament and also should know how to maintain patience. I love red ball because you get to showcase your skills,” Kuldeep Yadav said.

“5 days you have to come with the same energy and intensity. Your effort goes equally on all the five days,” Jadeja added.