India vs Australia: Abhinav Mukund Fails to Justify Test Return After 5 years http://blog.konkanitube.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/1488703843_india-vs-australia-abhinav-mukund-fails-to-justify-test-return-after-5-years.jpg
Abhinav Mukund. (Image credit: PTI)
New Delhi: India opener Abhinav Mukund donned the India jersey after almost five-and-a-half years — having last played in July 2011 — but couldn’t justify his comeback to the national team.
The Tamil Nadu batsman was dismissed for a duck at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium as Australia pacer Mitchell Starc removed him with a low full toss on his legs.
Mukund’s last Test was against England in 2011 in Nottingham. He had scores of 0 and 3 runs in the two innings in a match which India lost by a massive 319 runs.
Mukund has played 5 Tests so far, excluding the ongoing Test against Australia, and has mustered a total of 211 runs at an average of 21.10.
His highest score of 62 runs came against West Indies in 2011 at Windsor Park in Dominica.
Mukund was given a chance after India’s regular opening batsman Murali Vijay was ruled out due to a shoulder injury.
Vijay sustained the injury while diving on an outstretched arm during the opening Test match in Pune, which India lost by a massive 333 runs.
Mukund was included in India ‘A’ squad for the warm-up match against Bangladesh ahead of the one-off Test against the neighbours and managed to score just 16 runs in the warm-up match. Mukund didn’t find a place in the Test against Bangladesh as regular openers Vijay and KL Rahul got the go ahead from the management.
This is how Twitterati reacted after Mukund’s terrible comeback:
Abhinav Mukund is lucky to have played this test due to injury of Vijay. But his luck run out in matter of few overs. #IndvAus #IndvsAus
— Virender Sehwag (@VirenderSehweg) March 4, 2017
Doesn’t matter who opens the inning.#BhumiPujan is always performed.
Abhinav Mukund gone for duck.#IndvAus— #BhumiPujan Dhawan (@DhawanPujan) March 4, 2017
Recalled after 56 tests. @mukundabhinav . Out early. Fret not. Field well, show spirit and show em in the second innings.#INDvAUS
— Boman Irani (@bomanirani) March 4, 2017
Most consecutive Tests missed for India:
83 Parthiv Patel (2008-2016)
56 Abhinav Mukund (2011-2017)#IndvAus— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) March 4, 2017
Abhinav Mukund’s comeback after 56 test matches be like. #IndvAus pic.twitter.com/3OlE7nAqhl
— Kuptaan 🇮🇳 (@Kuptaan) March 4, 2017
