Virat Kohli is an amazing captain and leads by example, said Shahbaz Nadeem

It was a dream come true for left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem as his years of hard work in the domestic surprise earned him his maiden Test cap. Nadeem came in as the replacement of substitute Kuldeep Yadav after he got injured and immediately got a chance in the side as he featured in the third Test match of the Freedom series.

Nadeem, who got his Test cap from skipper Virat Kohli, bagged four wickets on his debut and was quite impressive on the field. Nadeem was all praises about Kohli as he called him the best captain for his brilliant leadership skills on and off the field.

"Virat (Kohli) is an amazing captain. I must say he is the best captain in the world. He leads by example. I am happy that I took four wickets in the match. I have played a lot of domestic matches and have a lot of experience. I want to use all of that experience in my international career. I am happy with my debut,” Nadeem told TOI.

Nadeem's maiden victim was Temba Bavuma and as he also dismissed Anrich Nortje in South Africa's first innings while he sent Theunis de Bruyn and Lungi Ngidi packing in the second innings.

“Both of us (Kohli and I) were discussing wickets and different situations during the match. Our plans worked really well against South Africa. This Indian team is the best in the world,” Nadeem said.

“Virat is a born leader. Not just on the field, (but) he also keeps the dressing room atmosphere alive. He helps every bowler on the field. With his aggression and batting prowess, he has taken Indian cricket to another level. I want to thank him for showing confidence in me.”

Nadeem was seen holding the trophy after India whitewashed the Proteas 3-0 to clinch the trophy. It is like a tradition in Indian cricket to ask the youngsters to be in the spotlight, to make them feel special and build their confidence up.

“When Virat was given the winners trophy, he, along with all the team members, asked me to hold the trophy,” the 30-year-old said.

Nadeem also impressed the head coach Ravi Shastri with his performance on debut as he revealed what Shastri told him after the match.

“Shastri sir told me, ‘you have done a brilliant job’. He wished me luck and said 'continue to perform the way you did’.”