Back in the room from a practice session of golf in Miyazaki, where he is part of the Indian team for the Asia Pacific Seniors event, Kapil Dev takes time to respond when reminded of his debut at Faisalabad on October 16, 1978.
“Forty years. I didn’t realise that. Thanks for reminding me. How could I forget the day. It was a momentous occasion for me to be playing for India,” recalled Kapil.
It was, as he recollected, a moment he had waited for.
Sleepless in Faisalabad
“What I remember the most was that I couldn’t sleep at all the night before of the game. I went to the manager (Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad) and shared my problem with him.
“I was so nervous at the thought of playing for India in the company of my heroes. I had heard about them and was now going to be part of the match they were to figure in.”
Kapil made an impact in his own way. Pakistan openers, Majid Khan and Sadiq Mohammed soon discovered the debutant fast bowler from India had to be treated with respect.
Majid had had first-hand experience at Ferozeshah Kotla six months before the Test, when Kapil had removed his middle stump with a brilliant delivery in the Abbas Ali Baig benefit match.
The crowd, having turned up in large numbers, was stunned. “I remember taking Conrad Hunte’s wicket, too, in that match,” Kapil said.
For Sadiq, it was some experience in the Test. Rattled by a steeply rising ball from Kapil, the left-handed Sadiq quickly and wisely gestured for a helmet. Years later Sunil Gavaskar would proudly narrate the incident in the press box whenever mention was made of Kapil.
Going back to that day, Kapil said, “I was more nervous at the thought of playing with my heroes than taking on Pakistan. Those days there was no cap-presentation ceremony to the debutant. One had to make a speech. All I could mumble was chak de phatte (come on, let’s do it).
“Actually I was totally clueless about the whole thing. I just blurted out what came to me instantly.”
Learning experience
The match, and the entire tour, was a “great learning experience” for Kapil. “It’s been a long journey.”
What else does he remember of his Test debut?
“The Pakistanis were letting out abuses in Punjabi. I gave it back to them. I am not abusive by nature, but I loved it. They stopped after some time,” he recalled.
