Muthusamy’s maiden century rewards years of persistence

It would have taken a monumental effort for Senuran Muthusamy to work his way back to international cricket after being outplayed by India in his maiden Test tour six years ago.

Muthusamy was completely dominated by the India Test players back then, and looked a class below the opposition in terms of skill and ability as the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin made him look like an amateur.

It was not only Muthusamy who was outplayed, but the entire Faf du Plessis-led Proteas Test team of 2019, as they lost the series 3-0. After that series, the all-rounder returned to domestic cricket at the Dolphins, with his future in Test cricket looking grim.

He changed teams and went to the North West Dragons in Potchefstroom as he looked for more responsibility with both bat and ball. His time there was fruitful, and he earned Robin Peterson’s attention down in Gqeberha at the Warriors, where he moved to next.

During those seasons in domestic cricket, the all-rounder further honed his skills, and Shukri Conrad had no choice but to recall him into the Test squad.

On Sunday, in front of a decent crowd at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati, all the hard work the all-rounder had done in domestic cricket finally paid off. The 31-year old brought up his maiden Test century during the second Test against India and put the Proteas in a commanding position.

Reflecting on his century, Muthusamy emphasised that reaching the milestone was fantastic — especially doing so in India, where he had struggled in his maiden Test tour.

“It’s fantastic, especially having come through to India in 2019 and, I mean, we lost the series pretty badly. So, going back to domestic cricket, I managed to work my way back into the international set-up and it was really great with the opportunity to be in India,” Muthusamy said.

“To put in a performance like that in the first innings is an awesome experience. It’s fantastic. Of course, a lot of Indian heritage, but that was quite a few generations ago. But, very grateful for the opportunity to play in this Test match after not playing the first one.”

That innings demonstrated that he is actually a genuine all-rounder, especially after smashing a strong India bowling attack led by Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. Muthusamy re-emphasised his belief in such a role at Test level.

“I see myself as an all-rounder, so I try to contribute where I can. I just try to add as much value as I can,” he said.

“I was just trying to do a job for the team, build batting partnerships and really accumulate runs. The first-innings runs in the subcontinent are vital.

"It was just really an interesting experience, and it was a lot of relief, I think, when I got to 100, because it was an awesome experience. It was a fantastic crowd today in Guwahati, and it’s a fantastic day.”

Muthusamy now sits with two half-centuries and a century in eight Test matches.