'I think I should be playing Test cricket'

Dinesh Mongia is back, and with a bang!

A year ago he was known as a flamboyant left-hander who could play the odd big innings and also roll his arm over a bit.

Now, his bowling is taking dangerous proportions. His exploits in English county cricket last season have provided the much-needed boost to his confidence.

Mongia was the most economic bowler in the Twenty20 Cup. He claimed eight wickets in four matches for Lancashire and gave away four runs per over when other bowlers were hammered around. He also played some valuable innings with the bat, scoring 112 runs, at 37.33 and a healthy strike rate of 131.76.

"I really enjoyed my time in the English county. It was a great experience for me. I did well there and it helped to boost my confidence. Next season also I will be playing there. I have already signed a contract with Leicestershire.

"Lancashire coach Mike Watkinson encouraged me a lot with my bowling; so has the Punjab coach, Intikhab Alam. Their help has increased my confidence while bowling," says Mongia.

He also enjoyed a good amount of success in the recently-concluded Challenger Series one-day tournament in Mumbai, where, playing for the India 'A' team which emerged champions, he bagged nine wickets in three matches.

"From the last one-and-half year I have worked very hard on my bowling and batting as well. But I have given importance to bowling because I feel the time has come when all the players in the team will need to bat and bowl. Soon there won't be any specific like bowler or batsmen, so I am working hard on my bowling too."

Mongia said the Challenger Series was an important tournament to promote himself as the much-needed all-rounder the Indian team desperately needs.

"I am looking to score runs, take wickets, take some good catches and run-outs."

The 27 year old, who played 49 ODIs for India, says he is now ready to break into both the one-day and Test teams.

"I want to play One-Day Internationals and also play Test cricket. If you see my first class record, I have already scored 20 centuries, around four double centuries and one triple century. So I think I should be playing Test cricket."

He feels he is one big knock away from making it to the Indian team.

"If I score a big hundred or a double hundred in the Duleep Trophy I can make it to the Test team."

The Punjab batsman, who has opened for India and played in the middle order, said he is ready to bat at any position.

"I am ready to play in any position. But, obviously, as a batsman, I would prefer playing in the top half, maybe at number three or four."

He also brushed off suggestions that there is no place for a new batsman in the packed Indian middle order, featuring big names like Rahul Dravid, V V S Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly.

"As a sportsman or a cricketer I cannot say that this thing is out of reach so I will not work hard for it. I believe in working hard towards achieving what I want; the rest is in the hands of God."

Mongia says his batting heroes are Steve Waugh, Carl Hooper and Tendulkar, who he "admires the most." He feels if Tendulkar is ruled out of the home series against Pakistan it will be a big blow for India.

"Nobody can step into his shoes. But I am very sure he will play in the series."

He, however, said should Shoaib Akhtar be dropped from the team, Pakistan's bowling attack will not be affected.

"The individual thing doesn't make a big difference in a big series like India versus Pakistan.

"Pakistan have just returned from Australia and I think that whichever team goes to Australia they perform really well in the next series, because they become mentally tough playing against the world champions.

"It happened to India too last year when they went to Pakistan after their Australia tour. They beat Pakistan in both the One-Day International and Test series."