Flattering, but White knows that it could just be the beginner’s luck, and the Indians aren’t done with him yet. “I’m pretty sure they will probably do that the whole series, if I’m lucky enough to play,” he said. “They’re always going to try to be attacking — I’m the new spinner, and they’re trying to put pressure on me.”

White, however, said he didn’t quite have butterflies in his stomach when he came out to bat. “I’ve always felt not as nervous, and a lot more comfortable and confident, in my batting. I’ve never really had any dramas there.”

Praise from Ponting

Skipper Ricky Ponting also heaped praise on the debutant. “Cameron has come along in leaps and bounds in his bowling. He’s probably exceeded my expectations with what he’s done, although he didn’t take the wickets.

“From what I’ve seen in this game, he has got a lot more confidence in his bowling. Someone stepping up in a Test in his first game and being able to bowl as well as he did, is a real positive for us,” Ponting said, adding, “To bowl against world-class players on foreign soil, it will do him the world of good.”