BENGALURU: On Thursday morning, when bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule handed pacer Mukesh Kumar his maiden India-A cap, it was a defining moment in the 28-year-old’s career. It was a reward for his consistency, which saw him pick up 52 wickets over two Ranji Trophy seasons for Bengal, and the hardships he had to endure to keep his cricket dream alive.
Mukesh, a late bloomer who took up competitive cricket less than a decade ago, made the debut count on the rain-truncated opening day of the first four-day game against New Zealand ‘A’ at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here, picking up 3/34.
