Test cricket is often regarded as the ultimate form of the game and is definitely the epitome of cricketing skill. It assesses one's talent, technique, temperament and mental toughness at the highest level.
Unlike other formats, Test cricket is played in more anti-batting scenarios, where one has to curb risks and stay focused to score runs and provide an even contest between bat and ball.
Mark Stoneman, an experienced red-ball player, in a recent conversation with OneCricket shared a piece of advice that he received from the Sri Lankan batting great Kumar Sangakkara during his stint with Surrey, to remain calm and focused in Test cricket.
The former Sri Lanka captain, after hanging his boots in international cricket in 2015, featured in County cricket for Surrey and continued plundering runs for them till 2017. Stoneman, who batted alongside Sangakkara in Surrey, said:
"I used to bat with Kumar Sangakkara at Surrey, he was phenomenal and in the snippet, he shared one day is that 'don't fight the day [in the sense that] you go to bed one night feeling a certain way and you wake up in the morning and be completely different. So what has worked for you one day could be completely useless the next, in terms of mindset," Stoneman shared in an exclusive chat with OneCricket.
"So I try to stay flexible and in tune with where I am on the day and I find it helps me be the most present for that day. By all means, go with if the next day you're gonna say stay over my dead body and set your stall out and that is in tune with everything then go with it."
"But if you are trying to be aggressive on the day that you feel like digging in for 250 balls, you fight your own instincts. Before you even try and watch your ball concentration go out the window," Stoneman concluded.
Kumar Sangakkara, one of the most complete cricketers the world cricket had ever witnessed, has more than 12000 runs under his belt and is the highest runs scorer for Sri Lanka cricket history at an exhilarating average of 57.40. He is currently the head coach of the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals.
Watch the whole interview here: