Excited to don the whites again after a long hiatus from Test cricket, Mohammed Shami has been preparing himself for the tour of West Indies. The speedster is back in the field sweating it out in days cricket to get into the groove of the longer format. Shami recently featured in a club match at the Eden Gardens where he bowled with the pink ball. Excerpts from the interview with BCCI.TV How excited are you to play a Test series after almost a year? I’m very excited to join the team. I’m thinking about the preparation. I just played a pink ball match and I am feeling good that I am able to bowl normally, like I used to earlier. During the IPL you were seen working closely with Zaheer Khan in the Delhi Daredevils camp. You definitely benefit from working with experienced players. The aim while talking to him was to learn as much as I can and understand my game. How much confidence have you gained from playing in the IPL and claiming wickets with the pink ball during the Mohan Bagan vs Bhowanipur match? This was the first pink ball game and I was (also) preparing for bowling in the days (multi-day) match, (and) how that will work out. In the game, I took five wickets (in Bhowanipore team’s first innings). I bowled a 15-over spell and I felt good (that I could do that). I am getting into good rhythm and so I am feeling prepared (for bowling long spells). I am hopeful that I will get the same feel and rhythm in the coming times. How different is it to bowl with the pink ball in comparison with the red ball? The red ball stops moving after some time, but we saw that the pink ball was moving all the time. We saw in the first innings that it was moving through all the 90-95 overs. The other thing is that we play with the red ball during the day while this was a day-night game; the last two sessions are under lights so that too plays a role in the movement of the ball. What do you expect in the West Indies? I have played there earlier and I haven’t found them (the wickets) to be that different. They are almost similar to India. Yes, in the earlier times we would hear that the wicket is bouncy and all that but now the wickets are similar to those in Asia. So there is no need to be excited as a fast bowler that you will get bounce and carry. According to me it is important to focus on line and length. How are your preparations going? I have played there before I have an idea of the conditions and one will have to be prepared (to utilise those). The main preparation should be for getting your line and length perfect for the wickets there (as per what suits those wickets). I’ve been playing whatever two-day, four-day (multi-day games) club or whatever other games that I get in order to be prepared for playing in the Tests. Reverse swing is a unique art and you are one of the bowlers who are able to do that consistently. Yes, it is an art like you said. And I enjoy bowling all the more when my ball starts to reverse. So I do wait for the time when the ball will start reversing and then we maintain it (the ball) and start using it. And once it starts reversing (getting the) line and length (right) is very important. And that is what I try to maintain, my line and length. What do you think will be the challenges against the West Indies? West Indies is the kind of team that can give you a run for your money on a given day and so you have to be very focussed and aware. We have to focus on line and length (as bowlers). What goals have you set for yourself this season? I will try to give in my best and as a unit the effort would be to bowl tight spells and get wickets.