I wanted to wake up Virat Bhai at 3 AM but I knew he would be mad at me: Kuldeep Yadav on nervousness before his Test debut

Indian bowler Kuldeep Yadav has revealed that he was so nervous before his Test debut in Dharamshala back in 2017 that he almost woke up Virat Kohli at 3 AM on the morning of the match.

The 25-year-old revealed that he was going through a lot of emotions ahead of his big debut and wanted to talk to Kohli about the matter early in the morning. However, he ultimately went back to sleep and woke up at 6 AM.

Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut in the final match of the 4-Test series during Australia’s tour of India in 2017. Then-head coach Anil Kumble informed him about his role in the match the previous day. He recalled:

“I slept early at 9 p.m. and got up at 3 a.m., confused and nervous. I wanted to wake up Virat Bhai who was next doors. But I was sure he would get mad at me. So, I went back to sleep and got up at 6 a.m.”

‘It was one of the happiest moments of my life and I got really emotional’: Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav made his Test debut in the final match of the 4-Test series against Australia in 2017

Kuldeep Yadav added that he realised the wide gap between international and domestic cricket as early as in his second over when Steve Smith dispatched his googly to the boundary. However, he got a hang of things post-lunch and it turned out to be a debut to remember for the left-arm unorthodox spinner.

Recalling the proceedings on the day, he said:

“Following lunch, I just tried to be relaxed and give my best. I started strategizing my game and bowled a few slower ones to David Warner and then mixed it up with a flipper, feeling it might clean him up or trap him LBW. He played the cut straight to the slip. That was my first wicket. It was one of the happiest moments of my life and I got really emotional.”

Kuldeep Yadav returned figures of 4 for 68 in the first innings and got to bowl just five overs in the second essay as India won the Test by eight wickets.

He has played six Test matches since then and has scalped 24 wickets including two five-wicket hauls, with the second one coming in the last Test he played against Australia at the SCG in January 2019.