Hyderabad: Two players were handed their India debut on June 20, 2011, by then captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on India’s tour of West Indies.
The players, who are both batsmen, have endured contrasting journeys to say the least. While one of them was dropped from the Indian team midway through the 2011 tour of England after a short run of five Tests, the other has gone on to become the star of world cricket and now leads India in all formats.
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Now five years after their debut, India skipper Virat Kohli welcomes back his co-debutant Abhinav Mukund back into the Indian fold.
In a year which has rolled back the clock, Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh slammed centuries in the same match and combined together to lead India to a win in the second ODI against England in Cuttack to rekindle the memories of the good old days.
The same year when tennis legends Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal surpassed all expectations to contest the Australian Open men’s final, Mukund’s comeback to the team after a hiatus of five years may not seem very special, but for the Tamil Nadu batsman, it’s nothing less than a “debut”.
“It almost seems like a debut for me,” said Mukund to bcci.tv. “It has been so long since I played for India. A lot of things have changed, but we are still the No. 1 team.”
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Mukund’s comeback to the national team may not be the greatest comeback story of all time, it may not have the heroics attached to the stories of Yuvraj, Ashish Nehra, but it has all the correct elements including hard work, determination and persistence.
The southpaw went back to the nets after 2011 to work on his batting. And having scored over 1000 runs in the 2016-17 first-class season, his selection doesn’t come as a surprise, especially when other openers like Shikhar Dhawan and Gautam Gambhir have failed to pounce on the chances.
The long break did breed desperation but the batsman is now ready for big things.
“I have gone through all the emotions. I was desperate one season and was also calm in the next. It has been a mixture of both that has worked for me. It is important for me to continue doing the things I know the best like scoring big, batting well and keep working on my fitness and training. I think I have been successful doing that and that is the reason I am back this year. I thank all the selectors for reposing faith in me.”
Mukund has stood the test of time and feels he’s better prepared now.
“I am much more confident and more aware. I will obviously be a little nervous if I get to play, but I am better prepared than last time.”
Mukund may have been selected as the third choice opener, but the opportunity to train with international level cricketers and spend time with India coach Anil Kumble will only help him in becoming a better cricketer. The selection is also an indication that the left-hander is ahead of the other reserve openers in the pecking order and with age on his side, Mukund can dream again to be an India regular.
