Speaking to Dravid eased my nerves: Vihari

A bundle of nerves ahead of his Test debut, Hanuma Vihari said a phone call to Rahul Dravid put his mind at ease and helped him get the maiden fifty that rescued India from a difficult situation against England.

Vihari scored 56 and put on a vital 77-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (86 not out) to help India post 292 in their first innings Sunday. England finished the day with a lead of 154 runs. The home team has an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.

"I called him the day before I made my debut. He spoke to me for a couple of minutes and I thought it eased my nerves a little bit. He is a legend of the game; and his inputs especially in the batting department (helped me)," Vihari said Sunday of the influence of the former captain, who is currently the India A coach.

"He just told me that 'you have the skill set; you have the mind set and the temperament, just go out there and enjoy yourself'...I would like to give him a lot of credit because my journey with India A was very important for me to come here, his inputs made me a better player."
"It's just the start. I know I have to do a lot of things to cement my place in the Indian team, which I definitely want to do. Getting a 50 on debut is just the start. Going forward, scoring a lot of runs for India is my main goal."