England opener Alastair Cook justified his call-up to the team with a fine knock of 60 in the first innings of the first Test against India.
"I was a little bit nervous till the first drinks break and I just thought I would try and score a few runs. I just wanted to enjoy the experience," he said on Wednesday, after play ended on day 1.
"The pitch was keeping low. So I just kept hitting the gaps and trying to take a few singles."
The young left-hander was one of England's three debutants, along with Monty Panesar and Ian Blackwell.
"It was great batting against two world-class spinners [Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble]. Initially, I didn't know what to expect from Harbhajan, but the more I saw him the more I felt comfortable," he said.
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The left-hander, who plays for Essex in county cricket, had just around five days to prepare himself for the Test. The 21-year-old had to leave the England 'A' team in the West Indies to cover up for a few injured players.
"Luckily, I was in the Caribbean, so we got used to the heat. I think it was the best way -- just get straight in there and play, not too much time to think," Cook said.
He also added that new captain Andrew Flintoff spoke to the youngsters and encouraged them to fight it out in the middle and acknowledged former England and Essex batsman Graham Gooch's contribution towards the development of his game.
"Gooch has been fantastic. He has got the experience of over 100 Test matches and it's great to have him. He was a great player and if I can be half as good as him, I will be happy," he said.
The left-hander said it is crucial that the team gets a few runs in the morning session.
"It's a good sign for our bowlers that the ball is reverse swinging. They can also take the advantage of it," said Cook.
