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Former India opener Abhinav Mukund recalled his first fiery encounter with South African pace legend Dale Steyn during a warm-up game in Nagpur.
After four seasons of first-class cricket, Abhinav averaged 60, and he was chosen to open for India after both Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were injured, before India toured the West Indies in 2011. "I was just 19 or 20, opening with Parthiv Patel. He asked me to take the strike first. The first ball from Dale Steyn hit me straight on the thigh pad. I wasn't even close to the ball! That was my first experience of facing that kind of speed," Abhinav Mukund said on The Great Indian Cricket Show. "It was just a warm-up delivery, but Parthiv walked up to me and said, 'Bro, get ready.' That moment stayed with me," he added. A couple of steady knocks in the Test series got him into the squad for the England tour that followed, as the reserve opener. Abhinav's career took a slight detour after the West Indies tour, as he wasn't considered for Test selection. However, he consistently performed well for India A, earning multiple call-ups. The turning point came for him during the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy season, where he exploded with 849 runs, including four centuries, showcasing his talent and resilience. Abhinav's impressive Ranji Trophy performance earned him a spot as India's first-choice reserve opener in Tests, and he was subsequently selected as the backup opener for India's first home Test against Bangladesh in February 2017. Although he had to wait until the Bengaluru Test against Australia in March for his comeback. His wait was cut short, as injuries to India's openers on the Sri Lanka tour led to his inclusion in the first Test in Galle. He posted 81 in the game's second innings, his highest Test score till date. Mukund played seven Tests for India, managing to score 320 runs at an average of 22.85. His last Test match was against Sri Lanka in July 2017. (ANI)
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