Stuart Binny represented India in several matches during the 2014-2015 phase. Team India was in desperate need of a fast-bowling all-rounder and Binny was trusted to do that job. The 36-year-old may have not had a long career but he did perform well in patches in his international career.
Binny still holds the record for the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in ODIs. The all-rounder stunned Bangladesh and picked six wickets and gave away only 4 runs. In 2014, he made his Test debut in the first match of the five-match Test series against England away from home.
MS Dhoni was India’s captain at that time who gave Binny interesting advice during his second innings. The match took place at Trent Bridge where Team India were looking to secure a draw on the last day of the match.
Stuart Binny recalls what Dhoni told him during his debut Test
Stuart Binny recalled his special Test match during which he had sleepless nights after failing in the first innings. He received his Test cap from Dhoni himself who later asked him to bat for 5 hours to save the Test.
“A special day in my life, to receive my Test cap #281 from Mahi bhai. We were under the pump on the last day. I had scored 1 in the first innings I had a sleepless night before I walked in to bat.”
“And Mahi Bhai told me, ‘Listen, we need you to bat 4.5 hours to save the Test match’. And I looked at him like I can’t believe he said something like that to me,” Binny told in an interview with Sportskeeda.
Stuart Binny got motivated after he chatted with his captain and played a crucial knock. While batting in the middle-order, he scored a match-saving 78 in the last innings of the Test match. The all-rounder although admitted that he would love to score a Test hundred in his debut Test but in the end was happy with his contribution.
“8-9 years of domestic cricket at that spot, either saving matches or trying to put a game on. And experience got me through that day. I would have loved to have a Test hundred on debut but it didn’t work out that day. I’ll take a 78 any day of my life,” Binny concluded.