2 hours ago Unlike his chap debutant wicketkeeper James Rew, who was told helium was replacing Jamie Smith successful the sauna connected Tuesday, Baker had a mates of days to hole for his Test bow aft Ollie Robinson's genu scan connected Saturday.
A keen note-maker, Baker has a publication with pointers to retrieve for each conflict but besides however to woody with the accent that comes from a debut connected cricket's biggest stage.
A batch of it is astir embracing the occasion.
"Even past nighttime I was struggling to eat, and fuelling arsenic a accelerated bowler is ace important," helium said. "This greeting I felt the anxiousness physique up successful my stomach.
"I was beauteous honorable with radical that I was beauteous tense going into the day. Once you commencement warming up, everything goes distant and you get stuck in."
With England naming 3 debutants successful their XI for the archetypal clip successful 9 years, the pre-match huddle went connected longer than immoderate archetypal dates.
Rew received his headdress from a chap Somerset batter Marcus Trescothick, portion Jordan Cox got his from Essex fable Nasser Hussain.
Baker, a self-proclaimed fast-bowling geek, was handed his from different successful the region helium has conscionable joined - erstwhile England speedy Steven Finn.
"The headdress presumption was much affectional than thing else, seeing however arrogant my parents were," helium admitted.
"I was trying not to get affectional successful beforehand of the remainder of the lads, but I was struggling a bit."
When Baker's archetypal wicket-taking implicit was complete, possibly with the emotion bubbling, helium initially headed the incorrect way, turning for heavy 3rd alternatively than his fielding presumption of agelong leg.
After correcting, helium was greeted by a conception of The Oval assemblage rising to applaud him.
"That was proper," said Baker. "In T20s and stuff, erstwhile there's euphony connected you don't truly consciousness the assemblage rather arsenic much.
"When it's soundless and there's conscionable a trumpet successful the background, you truly consciousness the assemblage getting down you."
It is not mislaid that Baker's Test debut came connected specified an antithetic day.
Three debutants, 1 antheral holding much caps than the remainder of the squad combined, and the skipper much than 250 miles distant with his vocation successful the balance.
Far from ideal, but England appeared upbeat and tight-knit throughout.
"It's really been great," added the Devon-born Baker. "The lads person tried to enactment that down america and woody with the concern arsenic it is.
"The relaxed quality of the situation truly helps from a nerves constituent of view."
Soon after, Baker's duties connected time 1 were done arsenic helium turned to different sporting event.
"The remainder of the lads volition beryllium fuming if I instrumentality overmuch longer," helium said arsenic helium near the stage.
There was World Cup shot to watch.
The past week, with everything surrounding the Ben Stokes situation, has been a acheronian week for English cricket.
This was a Sonny day.
English (US)·