Glad were playing more Tests

Laxman is,however,looking forward to the coming year when,if all goes according to schedule,India will play 12 Tests including the ongoing series against Bangladesh. The batsman,who is just seven short of crossing the 7,000-run mark,spoke to The Indian Express about the pressures of playing in only one format and about fitting into the dressing room. Excerpts:

With such huge gaps between Tests,how do you keep yourself motivated and fit in the interim?

amp;149; Luckily,I have been playing a lot of cricket. Its definitely tough when you are playing only one format of the game without being a part of the other two. You want to play as many games as possible when you are in good nick. But I make sure that whenever I am not playing,I stick to my daily routine of fitness and hit the nets regularly. Also,I have been lucky that I was involved with Lancashire. When there was a huge gap of six months between the IPL final and the first Test against Sri Lanka,I played for Lancashire for two-and-a-half months. That helped me stay match-fit and kept me in good nick as well. I also played a lot of domestic cricket.

How difficult is it to fit back into the dressing room when you are not a regular part of it?

amp;149; It is not difficult at all. Everyone has got a different role. You know that you are an important member of the Test team. It is always a great feeling to be in the Indian dressing room. Everyone wants to be a part of it. The team have been great. Its more like a family than a team now. We are enjoying each others successes and helping each other through tough times. We have a lot of fun in the dressing room. You actually miss that a lot when you are not there.

Does playing in only one format put a lot more pressure when you go out to bat?

amp;149; No,there is no real pressure as such. You are there to go out and win matches. Theres definitely a lot of responsibility to score. You have to come and start scoring runs from the first game. These days,we dont get to play too many warm-up games. So you have to be in the best of nicks when you walk out,you have to make sure you prepare really well before a series.

How happy are you that India will play 12 Tests this year?

amp;149; It is great that the BCCI is going in the right direction. Test matches are as important as ODIs and Twenty20,and the BCCI knows that. It is great that they have taken action and that we are playing more Test matches than were originally scheduled.

How does playing county cricket help?

amp;149; I enjoy the entire ambience around county cricket,its very professional. You feel as if you are playing international cricket. Though the standard is a touch below the highest level,the way the teams prepare,the way they recover after a match and the way they travel from one county to another,is similar to that in international cricket. There are members of the club,supporters,who travel with the team when we play in other counties. They take a lot of pride in whats happening with the county.

You shared a 99-run stand with Andrew Flintoff in a T20 game for Lancashire. Where do you see yourself fitting into the shortest format of the game?

amp;149; I actually enjoy playing T20 cricket. I only played three games for Lancashire. I batted at No.5 in the first game and then opened in the other two games,where I had a good time. I scored 65 in 43 balls in the first game and 79 off 46 in the second.

With the number of knee problems you have had over the years,do you get worried during the pre-match football contests with your team mates?

amp;149; Laughs Ive been working very hard on my fitness. And Im very happy with the way things are going and hope they remain fine.