KS Bharat receives massive support from his family and coach following his Test debut

With the Border Gavaskar Trophy finally underway, all eyes are on the Test debutants, Suryakumar Yadav and KS Bharat. After the injury to team India's regular wicketkeeper, Rishabh Pant, the 29-year-old, KS Bharat was named in the Indian playing XI for the first Test against Australia.

Bharat received overwhelming support from his family, wife, and coach J Krishna Rao following his Test debut. Bharat’s coach did not want to miss the moment where the 29-year-old got his first Test cap, and Rao was able to reach the venue in time to witness the career-defining moment for the wicketkeeper.

"We were waiting for it for a long time. It was a very proud moment for me to watch him being handed the Test cap by none other than the longest format legend (Cheteshwar) Pujara from the stands," Rao was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Bharat’s debut will motivate other youngsters opines Janapareddy Krishna Rao

It was not only Bharat’s coach who witnessed the moment the 29-year-old got his Test cap. His parents, sister, and wife were also present in the stadium to witness the euphoric moment. His coach also believes that his inclusion in the Indian squad will help and inspire other young people to pursue their dreams.

Talking about the same, Rao said, "Definitely, it's a proud moment for the entire Andhra, the state cricket association, the players, coaches, and groundsmen. It's a proud moment for each and every one. It has been a long time for all of us."

"It's a motivation for every Andhra player, as now they can continue working hard and take their efforts to another level. If Bharat can represent the country, why can't they? Ours is a very small state. If you look at the ratio of Andhra Pradesh players representing the country, it's very low. This (Bharat's debut) is a huge step forward for the state," he added.

Coming from Andhra Pradesh, Bharat was just nine years old when Rao took him under his wing. It was his coach as well who got Bharat into wicketkeeping, and now the 29-year-old has finally got his moment.