South African all-rounder Senuran MuthusamyWhat made a disappointing start in India in 2019 made a remarkable comeback in 2025 by scoring a crucial 109 against India. His performance came after a successful performance in Pakistan, where he took 11 wickets in the First Test and scored 89 not out in the Second Test, demonstrating his improved ability to play in subcontinental conditions.Muthusamy came to bat when South Africa was 201 for five and turned the situation around with his century. This marks a significant change from his 2019 debut series in India where he managed to take only two wickets in the two Test matches.
“My journey has been unique. Tasted international cricket in India in 2019, made my debut here, then went back into the jungle a bit. As you say, cricket is a journey you just try to take one day at a time. Try not to think too far ahead. But there were times, especially after 2019, when I was not sure whether I would be able to play Test cricket again and certainly not in India after losing the series,” Muthusamy said.“So I'm really grateful for the support back home, for the people that are really close to me, the coaches, the support staff here, the players, my family at home, my friends. They've been incredible.”After his first series, Muthusamy had to wait four years to play his third Test, spending time in domestic cricket. She has also worked with sports scientist Cheryl Calder to improve her performance.“Yes, it's fantastic, especially coming to India in 2019 and we lost the series very badly. So, yes, I've gone back to domestic cricket and I've managed to work my way back into the national set-up and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be in India and to have a performance like this in the first innings is an amazing feeling.”Muthusamy, whose ancestors are from Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu, has never visited his native town, although his mother and aunt maintain links with their extended family there.“Of course, I'm of Indian heritage, but that's a few generations ago. So my roots are in the south, in Tamil Nadu, my mother and my aunt have been visiting our extended family on that end of India, I haven't been there yet.”The all-rounder sees himself as a versatile player who can contribute to the team in a number of ways.“I see myself as an all-rounder, so I try to contribute to the team wherever possible, whether it's on the field bowling spin or with the bat. I just try to add as much value as possible.”He praised his teammates Kyle Verrein and Marco Jansen for their batting performances.“This morning with Kyle, it was against a new ball and obviously with the 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 well. It was an amazing partnership to really set up the innings. And Marco was brilliant when he came on. You guys know him very well from his T20 exploits, especially in India. He's got great levers of the ball. A neat striker and he really, really showed his skills today. So, it was an amazing experience to see it from the other end.”
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