The man from Uttar Pradesh is just 22 and is playing only his 10th Test, so coming from Anil Kumble, 124 Tests old, it was a huge compliment.

"It's such a nice feeling. The captain has a lot of faith in me, in my bowling. He has given me a lot of support. 600 is a huge number, it is beyond my imagination," beamed Rudra Pratap, marvelling at Kumble, who touched the 600-wicket mark on Thursday. "He is not just my captain but also my coach on the field, and a good senior also."

Having dismissed Mike Hussey in his first spell, Rudra Pratap came back to hasten the end with three wickets later on, starting with his dismissal of Adam Gilchrist with a beast that climbed nastily and sped through on pitching. This, after the three previous deliveries had been smacked to the fence. "It was very disappointing, those three fours. I had a chat with Sachin and he said forget about the three fours. Just bowl a good length. I did that and got the wicket." As simple as that!

Rudra Pratap repeatedly bowled in the early to mid-140 kmph. "Bowling fast is all about rhythm. Today, my rhythm was good right throughout.

“The conditions were different from the ones we are used to, there was more bounce and it was extremely hot. But we have the quality to swing the ball both ways, and that came in handy today."