Bangalore: Yuvraj Singh ended his nearly 18-month wait in Test wilderness with a stunning 169 against Pakistan in the final Test at the Chinnaswamy Saturday. Yet, the classy batsman was not sure his knock would be enough to make himself a Test regular during the forthcoming tour of Australia.

The following are excerpts from what the southpaw said at the press conference Saturday:

What went through your mind when you came in to bat at 61 for four?

I was very nervous. I’ve never been a confident starter in Test cricket because I have not played much of it. I’ve never been nervous while playing in ODIs, but Test cricket does give me shivers because it’s a different ball game. So I wanted to be positive, trying to negotiate the Pakistan bowlers’ first spells.

How long did you take to settle down?

I think when I hit the first boundary (off Yasir Arafat after 12 balls). Once Sourav and I raised 50 runs for the fifth wicket, everything fell in place.

Are you disappointed missing a double century?

One-hundred-and-sixty-nine is a lot of runs… But I should’ve got 200... I am disappointed from a personal point of view. But I should be happy that Sourav and I bailed the team out of a tough situation. Most important for me is to ensure that the team is in a good position.

Do you think with this knock you have made the captain’s job more difficult in selecting the team?

It feels bad to sit out, but you must see how many great players there are in the middle-order… Rahul, Sachin, Laxman and Sourav all have very good Test records and it’s not easy to replace them. But when I took guard today, I wasn’t worried about the tour of Australia and what composition the team would like to have there. May be I will play there or sit out again.

Were you hurt at being left out for so long, despite doing so well in ODIs?

I had a very bad Test series in the West Indies, and after that, the rest of our middle-order played very well… I have myself to blame. I stayed motivated, worked hard on my game and waited for a chance. I always knew that I could do well in Test cricket. You have time to settle down and play yourself in. To me, Test cricket is the main thing. That’s it.

Your experience of batting with Sourav?

It is a great fun to play with Sourav because he is also an attacking player. Batting with the man who had supported me so much in the past always generates fun and excitement.

What did Sourav tell you while holding your bat after you reached the 150-run mark?

(Laughing) He just asked me ‘Do you have springs in your bat?’

Your all three centuries have come against Pakistan…

It has happened because I have played most of my Tests against them. I really want to play Test cricket against other teams as well.

Did Shoaib Akhtar’s absence in the field help you?

Obviously. He is Pakistan’s strike bowler and if any strike bowler of any team doesn’t bowl, it will help the opponents.

Your favourite shot during the innings…

I think the back foot punch (off Yasir Arafat before Mohammed Sami’s over which ended my innings).