Want to reach a level where a team wants me, not the other way round, says Hanuma Vihari

Hanuma Vihari is a man from humble beginnings. A true self-made star that is yet to reach its peak. Vihari became India’s 292nd Test player after he made his debut in the final match of the five-match Test series against England. After getting a reprieve on 0, Vihari scored his maiden fifty on his debut and also managed to pick three wickets over the course of the match earning rave reviews from the Indian management and critics as well.

"I want to reach such a level of excellence where the team wants me, respects me as a top player and thinks that I am an important player. I don't want to compete with someone else for that spot, I want to play that level of cricket," Vihari said.

"I'd had one interaction with Virat before the match. Me, Prithvi and Rishabh had a chance to go out with him for lunch, along with the support staff. He spoke to us for nearly two hours, about how Test cricket was going to be, what we had to do to succeed at the international level. He told us through his past experiences with the Indian team and a few other stories he shared with us. It is very inspiring to hear from someone who's been playing for India for the past ten years, someone who is as successful as him, I took a lot out of it.

"When I went in to bat, he told me to just do what I had been doing for so many years. Don't be someone else. Enjoy the moment. After a few deliveries, he noticed a few things about me, he gave me a few tips on how to negate that big inswing of Broad. Overall, it was a great experience to have Virat on my side on debut," Vihari added.