Playing with the red ball 'a different thrill' – Mithali Raj
Raj, 36, has played 10 Tests for India so far, since first donning the whites in 2002. The unpredictability of Test cricket is something that enthralls her even now. "I would have liked playing with the red ball. The feel of actual cricket gives a different thrill," Raj told the Times of India.
"You are always trying to strategise, whereas in one-day and T20 you have a few strategies and you know how it all works. After a time you can guess where it is heading. But in Tests, a lot of factors come into play."
That said, Raj is exceptional in the shorter formats as well. She has scored 2283 T20I runs for India and is fifth among the all-time leading run-scorers in the format. However, she recently came under scrutiny for her strike-rate during the ICC Women's World T20 2018, and was left out of the XI in India's semi-final loss to England.
"I don't intend to justify anything about my scoring rate as there are people who score at a faster rate but are not that consistent," said Raj, who scored 575 runs in 19 innings at 35.93 last year.
"It works both ways, but people don't see it that way when they are negative about the player. If you see the percentage of matches that India won with me scoring runs it will be a testimony to my abilities. I play the way I think best suits the situation and the way the team requires me to bat."
India will begin 2019 with a tough tour of New Zealand, where they will lock horns with the White Ferns in three one-day internationals and as many T20Is.
Raj believes it's a significant tour and a "fresh start" for the Indian team under WV Raman, the new Head Coach. "A fresh start, I think. Obviously, this tour is important but I don't have any different way of looking at it. I want to work hard and invest more time in my preparation," she said.
"I may not be forthcoming with my expressions and my body language, but when it comes to preparation I am quite aggressive. At this level, I always want to be the best and wouldn't want to push on just because there is no one else in the team. That drive is still there. I don't like anyone getting me out even today, even in the nets."