NEW DELHI: India's left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav admits that being able to feature in all three formats is a "luxury" in modern cricket, and credits his attacking approach for helping him stay competitive amid intense selection battles.

Kuldeep returned from Australia midway through the five-match T20I series to gear up for the South Africa Tests and made an impression in Kolkata, picking up four wickets despite India's 30-run defeat.

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With 342 wickets across formats, his value to the side remains significant, and Kuldeep says he is prioritising maintaining peak match fitness to stay in contention, particularly in Test cricket, if not across formats.

"Obviously, you want to play in all formats, but if you get a chance to play Test cricket, you enjoy it. Playing in all formats for India is a luxury," Kuldeep said on JioStar's 'Follow The Blues'.

"Everyone loves Test cricket. It's a format that everyone enjoys, but it's also very challenging. The next 4-5 years are very important for me in Test cricket, so I will focus on maintaining my fitness and keep performing like this," he added.

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Kuldeep said he has a clear understanding of his role and enjoys strong backing from the team management, which allows him to approach matches with an attacking mindset.

"I am very clear as an attacking bowler, I know my role over the years. The coach and the captain have given me a lot of clarity and support. I always keep an attacking mindset and bowl accordingly. That's my job; taking wickets. That's how they (coaches) look at me."

India pacer Mohammed Siraj said that facing strong teams like South Africa helps players grow, learn, and build confidence.

"When you're playing against a good team, and you're bowling against good batsmen and taking their wickets, you get a lot of confidence. Because when you play against a strong team, you quickly realise where you're making a mistake.

"So, it's good that I'm playing against a team like South Africa. It's a lot of fun," said Siraj.

Tea before lunch

With early sunrise and sunset in the northeast region around this time of the year, the Guwahati Test will see tea being taken before the lunch break to maximise daylight hours and complete the required quota of overs.

It's a routine in day-night Tests, but the BCCI took the decision for a day Test owing to the fast fading light in north-east parts of the country.

South Africa batter Aiden Markram said while it would be an "interesting" departure from the norm, he was not the biggest fan of the concept.

"It's interesting. I'm not the biggest fan of it, to be honest. I think Test cricket should always start at 10 a.m. with lunch followed by tea. But those are the cards you're dealt, and you just get on with it. It'll be something different to experience, but hopefully, it doesn't become a common thing."

Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj said the reigning World Test champions were here to compete irrespective of the changes in the routine.

"We actually heard about it (tea before lunch) recently. It's an interesting one, but you can understand the thinking behind it. Sunlight becomes a factor, so they're trying to maximise playing time.

"We respect the rules put in place, and we're here to compete and give our best as a South African unit," said Maharaj.

(With PTI Inputs)