India vs England 5th Test: This is what Rahul Dravid told Hanuma Vihari before his debut

Just two days before making his Test debut, Hanuma Vihari decided to make a special phone call and eventually, that conversation has helped him in the ongoing fifth Test between India and England at the Oval.

India were 103 for 4 when Vihari walked in the middle to join his skipper. He was quiet and evidently looked nervous. Virat Kohli walked up to him, patted his back and wished him good luck as Vihari prepared to face his first-ever ball in international cricket.

Just two days prior to his Test debut, Vihari called up Rahul Dravid, coach of India Under-19 and India A, for some motivational inputs.

“I called him (Dravid) the day before and told him I was making my debut," Vihari said after the third day's play.

"He spoke to me for a couple of minutes and it eased my nerves a little bit because it’s coming from a legend and you know that you belong here. He just told me, 'You have the skill set, you have the mindset and the temperament, just go out there and enjoy yourself.' I'd like to give him a lot of credit because my journey with India-A has been important in my coming here.

"Initially, I felt the pressure. I was nervous. Nerves make you do unusual things. If I settle down nicely, I don't think any ball will cause me trouble. On Saturday, I had problems facing the incoming delivery but Virat gave me some cues so that I could play it comfortably. But once I settled down, the wicket was good to bat on,” Vihari said.

Vihari, who was picked in the IPL for two seasons, in 2013 and 2015, has not played a game since.

"If I get picked in the IPL, I will definitely play. But my only route coming into the Indian team is grinding through the domestic circuit. I have to score big runs to be recognized. Also, I'm coming from Andhra. People don't recognize those states as much as the other states. So I try to get big scores, I try to bat patiently,” the Test debutant added.

When Vihari top-edged Ben Stokes for six on Saturday evening, the bowler had had a few words to say to him before Kohli had interfered.

“He (Kohli) also had a go at him and that’s how the game is played nowadays; that's how Indian cricket is now. Obviously, if it gets personal then I might say something back. But as long as it’s healthy, then everyone likes to have some banter on the field. My style of play is to ignore that and focus on my own game,” Vihari said.