Few can time the ball as sweetly as Yuvraj Singh at his best and he has all the making of a great Test batsman.

Yuvraj has always been a creature of confidence. When his mind is unfettered, his footwork decisive and intent positive, he scores runs. It is when he is tentative - especially outside the off stump against the fast bowler, or sweeping instinctively against the spinner - that he is in the most trouble. Confidence comes from making runs, from playing big innings, but equally it comes from feeling that you belong in a team.

By this time Yuvraj Singh should have been a regular in the Indian middle order and a certainty in the Test team after eight seasons of international cricket. However, there is still the inscrutable question: Does he belong at Test level?

The elegant left-hander has been left out of the Indian squad for the Emerald Isles in late July, with selectors using the word ''rested''. Once again, he has hit a roadblock. So, is he the next Michael Bevan then? It's too premature to say just yet - even if a popular website has written him off!

While years gone by saw the stylish left-hander mature as one of the mainstays of Indian batting in the limited-overs game, what was left in oblivion was Yuvraj the Test batsman. The Test team line-up is packed with some heavyweights and it is difficult to make a batting slot your own.

In 2006, when Sourav Ganguly was no longer in the frame, Yuvraj looked assured of his place in the Test side after a successful season in ODIs. However, with Ganguly reinventing himself in South Africa and VVS Laxman scoring runs consistently, Yuvraj losing his spot was a foregone conclusion.

Progress has been interesting for the southpaw. Having announced his arrival on the international scene with a blistering 84 and some acrobatic catching against Australia in the Nairobi Mini-World Cup in 2000-01, he's been on a rollercoaster ride.

He had a lean spell and was dropped immediately for the one-dayers against Australia. The top talent quickly gained a reputation as a finisher, scoring at a brisk pace with an undefeated 98 against Sri Lanka in 2001 - but it was different in the Test arena. He initially struggled to break into the strongest middle-order batting line-up in the world. This was quickly followed by the opportunity to have a go as an opener, only to realise later on that his natural habitat is indeed the middle order.

While ODIs brought smiles to Yuvraj’s face, he has found the transition to Test cricket far tougher than expected. Getting out after doing all the hard work and playing too many shots has become all too familiar for the Punjabi. Another aspect that has been found wanting is his footwork.

Early in his career, he was clearly troubled by spinners and often got caught on the crease, leading to dismissals. Does spin puts Yuvraj in real spot of bother? Out of the last seven innings that he padded up in Tests, he was dismissed by spinners three times. Yuvraj jabs at deliveries, he cannot pick up the length, let alone read the spinner's hands. He goes for a premeditated sweep shot and brings about his own downfall.

All three of his Test  tons have come against Pakistan in quick time, but to regain his spot he will have to take leaf out of Laxman and Ganguly's book. They have mastered turning potential into performance, they can construct an innings, attaching a high price to their wicket.

The only plausible reason for his dramatic demotion lies in the cluttered mind and desperation to prove his credentials at the Test level. Playing against quality spin you need exemplary judgment of the turn and bounce and, more significantly, precise understanding of the whereabouts of one’s wicket.

Any thoughts of wearing the whites again would require a different mindset and to temporarily rein in the natural ambition to hit boundaries. As Geoff Boycott realised early in his career, batting isn't about how many boundaries you hit, it's about how many runs you make. Yuvraj's average of 32 in 20 Tests suggests there has been more dust than gold. But that average will improve as he realises his flair and learns the intricacies of Test cricket.

Few can time the ball as sweetly as Yuvraj at his best and he has the making of a great Test batsman, but does he belong at Test level? The answer would be an emphatic yes - if he alters his approach.