Mukesh Kumar finished as the highest wicket-taker with 11 scalps in the two multi-day games of the recent ‘A’ tour of Australia. Thereafter, forget making a Test appearance, the pacer, who was among the Team India reserves for the Australia tour, was sent back midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Whether that decision from the Indian team management was right or not, complaining or sulking has never been Mukesh’s way. No matter how baffling the situation appears, staying focused is what he looks to do irrespective of the odds.

Despite coming to know that he would have to head back home, Mukesh quickly diverted his mind to practice. He picked up an old red ball and started working on bowling a more stump-to-stump line, the hard length and bouncers to prepare for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

“I know my priority, which is to perform. And that is possible only if I keep taking wickets in crucial games.

“It’s something I have been trying to do since the start of this season. I believe I have been successful at times with my execution, so just look to keep up the good work,” Mukesh told The Telegraph on Wednesday.

“Targetting the stumps is one area I’m really striving to be better at. When up against a quality batsman, you can’t just go on bowling outside the off-stump because he will only keep leaving them. So, the stumps have to be brought into play by trying to hit the hard length.

“That’s what I’ll be trying to execute in the coming matches,” he emphasised.

Back at the Bengal camp, a solid, impact-making performance with the ball against Haryana and Punjab in the remaining two Ranji Trophy group-phase games is Mukesh’s present goal. The five-Test series in England from June is still far away, but further success in Ranji may well brighten Mukesh’s chances of a red-ball comeback, while he also would only be too happy to be selected for that tour.

“For me, all the matches I play are important. But at this stage, these Ranji games carry greater significance. From the team’s point of view of course, as we need to win to make the knockout stage... For me, doing well should help me to be back in the (India) scheme of things.

“Obviously, it will be great if I can go to England, but there are games before that series as well. And I am eying them too,” he expressed.

Concentrating on the positives from his maiden tour of Australia, Mukesh is banking on the time interacting with India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel. “For sure I have had my set of learning there (in Australia) and I feel I’ve gained a little more sharpness too alongside experiencing bowling in those conditions.

“I worked on extra pace and trying to make sure the ball has enough zip even when it’s old. I’m confident I will be able to execute all these when I take the field,” Mukesh said.

It does come as a bit of surprise that even after being the second-highest wicket-taker in Duleep Trophy with 15 scalps in six innings, with a match-haul of five wickets in the Irani Cup and six in the only Ranji game he has played so far before the India ‘A’ games Down Under, Mukesh’s last India appearance was back last July during the T20I series in Zimbabwe, where he finished with eight wickets from three games.

Responding on the field is what the 31-year-old believes in. And he’s getting ready for the riposte.