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

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