It was a feeling of pride: Ireland's Kevin O'Brien on his Test debut
May 13, 2020
Dublin [Ireland], May 13 : Ireland cricketer Kevin O'Brien reminiscing his first ever Test match said it "was a feeling of pride, mixed in with nervous energy and even a bit of relief".
The Test match, Ireland Men's debut in the longest format of the game was scheduled to begin on May 11, 2018. However, rain played spoilsport and the first day was abandoned without a ball bowled.
Sent in to bat first, Pakistan scored a solid first-innings total of 310-9 and declared the innings after the first day of the historic Test was washed out.
In reply, Ireland were folded for 130 with Kevin top-scoring with a 68-ball 40. In the second innings, the all-rounder smashed an impressive 118, becoming Ireland's maiden Test centurion.
"Like most people there making their Test debut, it was a feeling of pride, mixed in with nervous energy - even a bit of relief. What every player had put in before, all the years training to finally become a Test cricketer - it's such an amazing thing to achieve. To call yourself a Test cricketer is a dream come true," Cricket Ireland quoted Kevin as saying.
"I was definitely nervous in the nineties, of course, it's not every day you get a chance to score a Test hundred. But I think the circumstances of the game probably took my mind off the thoughts of scoring a century. At that stage I was just looking to score more runs for the team and build a lead to get us into a position to win the game," he added.
In the second innings, Ireland posted 339 on the back of Kevin's brilliant hundred and Stuart Thompson's fifty. Pakistan was set a target of 160 on the final day. The visitors went on to win by five wickets.
