NEW DELHI: Life has truly come full circle for Senuran Muthusamy. In 2019, during a forgettable debut series in India where he managed just two wickets across two Tests, the South African all-rounder of Indian descent feared his career might already be over and doubted he would ever play in this country again.

Senuran Muthusamy completes full circle

Cut to 2025, Muthusamy has mastered sub-continental conditions following a stellar performance in Pakistan, where he took 11 wickets in the first Test and scored an unbeaten 89 in the second.

Now, he is enjoying the highlight of his career with a match-defining 109 against India, coming in at a tricky 201 for five.

"My journey's been unique. Got a taste of international cricket in 2019 in India, debuted here, went back into the wilderness a little bit. Like you say, cricket is such a journey that you just try to take it one day at a time. You try not to think too far ahead.

"But there were times, especially after 2019, where I wasn't sure if I'd ever play Test cricket again and certainly not in India after we lost that series," Muthusamy said, openly reflecting on his career six years ago.

"So just really grateful for the support that I've got back home, for the people that are really close with me, the coaches, the support staff here, the players, my family back home, my friends. They've been incredible."

Muthusamy has also benefited from working with sports scientist Cheryl Calder, which helped enhance his performance.

Return to form through hard grind

After his debut series in 2019, he had to wait another four years for his third Test, enduring the tough grind of domestic cricket in the meantime.

"Yeah, it's fantastic, especially having come through to India in 2019 and we lost the series pretty badly. So, yeah, I've gone back to domestic cricket and I've managed to work my way back into the national set-up and I'm just really grateful for the opportunity to be in India and to put in a performance like that in the first innings is an awesome experience."

His roots trace back to Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, though he has never visited the town, unlike his mother and aunts who have been to their native place.

"Of course, I'm of Indian heritage, but that was quite a few generations ago. So my roots are in the south, in Tamil Nadu, my mum and my aunt have been to visit our extended family on that end of India, I haven't been there as yet."

Muthusamy sees himself as an all-rounder, aiming to add value to the team in whichever role he plays.

"I see myself as an all-rounder, so I try to contribute where I can towards the team's cause, whether it be bowling spin on the field or with the bat. I just try to add as much value as I can."

He also praised Kyle Verreynne and Marco Jansen for their contrasting yet effective batting performances on Sunday.

"With Kyle this morning, it was against a new ball and obviously with a nine o'clock start, we expected it to be really tough and for them to really test us and they did.

"So, I thought he batted really, really well. That was an awesome partnership to really set up the innings. And Marco (Jansen) was sublime when he came in.

"You guys know him really well from his T20 exploits, especially in India. He's got fantastic levers. He's a clean striker of the ball and he really, really showed his skills today. So, that was an awesome treat to watch from the other end," he added.

(With PTI Inputs)