Stuart Binny: Wicket Didn't Suit My Style Of Bowling

Stuart Binny is elated after producing a match-saving knock that helped India draw the first Test against England at Trent Bridge on the final day. The allrounder missed out on a century after being out for a well made 78 but is happy that he got the opportunity to guide his team out of trouble on debut.

"I was a bit disappointed with the way it went in the first innings. I did the hard work for the first 10-15 minutes – which is the most crucial phase for a batsman – and then played a loose shot to get out. So today I just wanted to go in there and spend as much time in the middle as I could. The ball was reversing and wicket started doing a bit especially with the new ball. There are not many players who get a chance to save the Test for their country on their debut. I did and I am really happy that I took it," Binny told BCCI.tv in an interview after the match.

Binny was included in the side as a seam bowling allrounder but didn't get much opportunity to bowl considering the nature of the track and ended up sending down 10 wicketless overs in the first innings. He failed to make an impact with the bat as well scoring just one in India's first dig. However, he more than made up for it in the next when India were under the pump losing six of their batsmen for just 184. He forged three crucial partnerships with Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma as India recovered from the tricky spot to declare their second innings at 391/9.

"The wicket didn't suit my style of bowling and I had to understand and accept that quickly. I was told that a Test match lasts five days that so I will be required to play a part at some point. So, I went in to bat with a very positive mindset. I knew that if I survived the first 30 minutes, the wicket would ease out. I went with the mindset of playing out balls instead of scoring runs. When you get to 25, that's when you realise, okay, a Test fifty is here for the taking," he said.

The pitch has come under much criticism for its subcontinental nature that led many to term Indian captain MS Dhoni's decision to hand Binny a debut at Nottingham and not play a specialist spinner in Ravichandran Ashwin, a misreading of the conditions. However, Binny begs to differ saying the track was difficult to play on and offered little bounce that left even the hosts perplexed. "I don't think we misread it. It was a hard wicket but there wasn't much bounce. Even the English guys were surprised at how it played out. When we were batting, it felt like we were batting in India. It was a funny wicket," he said.

Binny, 30, who made his international debut in January this year, is proud that he has finally got a Test cap. "It's an unbelievable and very proud feeling, especially for the family and all my friends who supported me throughout the tough times I faced to get here. Personally it was a very special feeling to walk out on the field for my first session of Test cricket," he said.