India debutant Mukesh Kumar, shared an awe-inspiring anecdote about his Test debut, where he couldn’t believe his eyes when the former India captain and legend, Virat Kohli, rushed to embrace him after his first Test wicket.
“When I got the wicket, Virat bhaiya ran up and hugged me. I was in a different world. The man I have watched all these years on TV and looked up to is hugging you. It felt great,” Mukesh told his senior pace bowling partner (younger in age though) Mohammed Siraj in an interaction for BCCI.TV.
“When you (Siraj) and JD (Unadkat) bhai were bowling, Rohit bhai said ‘it’s not a pitch where you can get wickets instantly. You need to work hard’. I had to set up the batter with consistent bowling,” Mukesh added.
The pitch posed a stern challenge for pacers, but Mukesh rose to the occasion, leaving a lasting impression with figures of 18-6-48-2 in his debut Test, displaying his tenacity and skill.
“When I came to know that I will be playing, I was shocked and actually completely zoned out. Whether I play or not, I am always prepared, so I went to attend the team meeting, keeping in mind that I need to follow my process. But there was some gut feeling that I might play.”
The spotlight will be on Mukesh Kumar once again as he has been picked in India’s T20I squad led by Hardik Pandya, set to lock horns with West Indies in a five-match T20I series, starting August 1.
