It was a delighted Venkatesh Prasad whom CricInfo caught up with at the RSI Ground in Bangalore on Friday where he was playing for the KSCA XI against the Andhra XI in the Coromandel Cement Cup match. Prasad who had heard about his selection to the Indian squad to play the three Test series in Sri Lanka was a picture of happiness. "I was hoping that I will make a comeback and was training quite hard. There has not been much of practice since the season has not started but I have been preparing myself very hard," he said.

Prasad's last Test match was the Kolkata Test against the visiting Australians in March this year, when he bowled without much luck. He added that he was disappointed to have missed the Zimbabwe tour. "The game of cricket is such that anything can happen. I just kept hoping that I would get another opportunity to prove myself."

"I would like to thank God", said the medium pacer from Karnataka who regularly visits the Guruvayoor temple to keep his faith going. Prasad doesn't just leave things to the elements and he kept preparing for the recall by spending the time usefully at the National Cricket Academy, training hard and even playing a few matches in local tournaments.

The tall seamer is aware that it is going to be a long season ahead and that he will have to keep taking wickets to silence the critics. Prasad and Javagal Srinath have done well in tandem for India and they might get to play again in a Test match soon. Prasad who turns 32 today has the required experience that will help him do well on the international stage.

Asked about the number of fast bowlers breaking into the big league, Prasad said, "Ever since Kapil Dev retired, the focus has been on spin. It is good to see young fast bowlers doing well. This has helped to generate a healthy competition that keeps them on their toes. The fast bowlers realise that they can't take things for granted anymore. The advent of the NCA and MRF Pace Foundation has done a lot to help fast bowlers."

Prasad who was at the MRF Academy has seen a few of the Sri Lankan bowlers who made use of the facility; Chaminda Vaas and Ravindra Pushpakumara are a few whom Prasad has rubbed shoulders with at the academy. Asked about whether he was still looking forward to playing the one-day game, Prasad was quick to say that he has done well in both versions of the game.

The experienced seamer, who made his Test debut in England in 1996, joins Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Harvinder Singh in the squad. Prasad seems to be in the pink of health and is in top physical condition, which would matter a lot, given the fact that Indian seamers have been falling apart with injuries too often. He has made use of the training facilities available at the NCA. Now it would all depend on how he performs in Sri Lanka.

© CricInfo