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KEY TAKEAWAYS: - Arshdeep Singh revealed the team management's message about earning a Test call-up. - He took three wickets as North Zone beat West Zone by 52 runs in the Duleep Trophy. - India have not fielded a left-arm pacer in Tests since Jaydev Unadkat. Arshdeep Singh is ready to move beyond T20 cricket Arshdeep Singh has spent 4 years as one of the first names on India's T20I team sheet without ever being handed a Test cap, and the 27-year-old is using the domestic season to change that. His three wickets helped North Zone into the Duleep Trophy semi-finals, and he has now shared what the Gautam Gambhir-led management has told him about his prospects. The left-armer is playing red-ball cricket in the window before India's T20I series against Afghanistan, a scheduling gap he has chosen to fill with four-day cricket rather than rest. It is a deliberate signal of intent from a bowler who has made no secret of wanting all three formats. His ambition is not new. In 2023, on the advice of then-head coach Rahul Dravid, Arshdeep signed for Kent to gain County Championship experience, a stint designed specifically to build his red-ball credentials. MORE: Ex-PAK star drags Kohli's record in England to slam DK's Babar Azam comment What the India team management told Arshdeep Singh about a Test call-up Speaking to the Indian Express after the win over West Zone, Arshdeep relayed the guidance he has received from the national setup. The message was simple and offered no timeline. "I mean the message is to perform wherever you get a chance and just keep delivering, and when the time is right, you will get your chance," Arshdeep said. The pacer has also spoken about why the longest format appeals to him as a bowler, pointing to the second and third opportunities it offers. A poor opening spell in a Test can be redeemed later in the day or the following morning, a luxury white-ball cricket rarely provides. MORE: Joe Root's first reaction to Carse's nightclub handcuff incident How Arshdeep Singh performed in the Duleep Trophy quarter-final Arshdeep returned figures of 3 for 53 in West Zone's first innings at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 1 in Bengaluru, working in tandem with left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq, who claimed 5 for 39 to earn the player of the match award. He removed opener Harvik Desai early, later accounted for Musheer Khan after the youngster's 126-ball resistance, and returned to dismiss Shardul Thakur as the West Zone were bowled out for 187 in reply to the North Zone's 251. The second innings offered fewer opportunities with the spinners doing the bulk of the work, but Arshdeep struck again with the new ball, dismissing Desai for the second time in the match. West Zone, set 287, were dismissed for 234 to hand North Zone a 52-run win. Kanhaiya Wadhawan's side now meet South Zone in the semi-finals beginning August 30. Across 23 first-class matches, Arshdeep has taken 71 wickets at an average of 30.26, including two five-wicket hauls. MORE: Sunil Gavaskar slams ‘brazen’ hypocrisy over Mackay pitch India's left-arm pace vacancy in Test cricket The case for Arshdeep is strengthened by an obvious gap in India's attack. The last left-arm seamer to play a Test for the country was Jaydev Unadkat, whose comeback proved brief, while Yash Dayal received a maiden call-up for the Bangladesh series without making his debut. Only four left-arm pacers have taken double-figure Test wickets for India this century, and the drop-off after the first name is severe. | Player | Tests | Wickets | |---|---|---| | Zaheer Khan | 92 | 311 | | Irfan Pathan | 29 | 100 | | Ashish Nehra | 17 | 44 | | RP Singh | 14 | 40 | Zaheer aside, none of them built a sustained red-ball career, with Nehra's undone by injury and RP Singh's fading after a bright start. That leaves India without a left-arm option capable of offering the different angle that has become standard in most other Test attacks. Arshdeep's problem is the queue ahead of him rather than the absence of a vacancy. Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi all travelled to Sri Lanka, and Jasprit Bumrah remains the automatic first choice when fit. Performances like this one are the only route through, which is precisely what the management told him. For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages