Bengal pacer Mukesh Kumar made his Test debut for the game against West Indies in Trinidad. Mukesh, who is a renowned name in the country’s domestic circuit, was named in the playing XI after Shardul Thakur missed was ruled out because of an injury.
His Test debut turned out to be special as he received his India cap from skipper Rohit Sharma and when he picked his first wicket a pumped-up Virat Kohli celebrated his milestone with him at the Queen’s Park Oval.
Virat Kohli Hugged Mukesh Kumar And Celebrated His First Wicket
Yes, Mukesh Sharma ended India’s long wait by giving a much-needed breakthrough on Day 3 of the play as he dismissed Kirk McKenzie. Mukesh trapped McKenzie and forced him to play the shot. In the end McKenzie ended up getting caught by keeper-batter Ishan Kishan.
Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli was the first player from the team to join Mukesh in his celebrations. The batting maestro hugged Mukesh and celebrated the wicket with him. They were soon joined by Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and the other members of the team.
Watch the video of the wicket and celebration here:
Mukesh Kumar's maiden Test wicket! A moment for him to savour. A video for you to savour. #INDvWIonFanCode #WIvIND pic.twitter.com/fpCQSf1LsF
— FanCode (@FanCode) July 22, 2023
Later, Mukesh spoke about the moment with Mohammed Siraj on bcci.tv and said that he was in a ‘different world’. He expressed his happiness in getting hugged by the man he has always looked up to. He said:
“When I got the wicket, Virat bhaiya ran in 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,”
He added: “When you (Siraj) and JD ( Jaydev 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 was mentally prepared for the opportunity and despite being told at the team meeting a day before, it took him some time to sink the feeling in. He revealed:
“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.”
He added: “So, when it’s morning over here, it’s evening in India. So, by evening, when I reached the hotel, I spoke to my mom, that’s a special feeling that ‘Maa main desh ke liye khel raha hoon (Mom, I am playing for the country). All my relatives and all those who supported me from the start are happy,”
