When Alastair Cook received his 150th Test cap before the third Ashes Test, he could have been be forgiven for taking a moment to reflect on his England journey.
The former Three Lions captain became the first England player ever to reach the milestone, almost 12 years on from receiving his first cap as a bright-eyed 21-year-old against India in Nagpur in March 2006.
Cook started as he meant to go on with a century on his debut after answering an SOS call to join the squad from an England A tour in the West Indies to replace Marcus Trescothick.
England, captained by Andrew Flintoff, also handed out first caps to Monty Panesar and Ian Blackwell - but it was Cook who stole the show.
Flintoff, Matthew Hoggard and Paul Collingwood - who all played in that Test - recall their memories of Cook's stunning debut...
Flintoff:
The one thing I got right as England captain, the ONE thing I actually got right, was picking Alastair Cook to play.
Hoggard (took 6-57 in the first innings and was man of the match):
I didn鈥檛 have a clue who he was, I hadn鈥檛 played against him I don鈥檛 think.
He walked through the door, what did I think?聽Far too polite, far too good looking, far too brown. All in all a really nice lad.
Collingwood (scored 134 not out in the first innings):
Cooky is a solid, stubborn, and a top bloke.
Flintoff:
He flew in from the West Indies and arrived just before the game. Duncan Fletcher wanted to pick Matthew Prior and I said, no Alastair Cook鈥檚 playing.
I put my foot down for once. He asked why and I鈥檇 never seen him play!
Cook made a confident start with 60 in his first Test innings, opening the batting with Andrew Strauss. ollingwood, now the England assistant coach top scored with 134 not out.
Hoggard:
It seemed he just came over from West Indies and said: 鈥淟ets go and get on with it鈥�.
Flintoff:
I had a gut feel, as a lad at that age, at 21, he was so impressive and the type of lad I wanted in the side.
He went out there, first innings got 60, second innings got a hundred, too easy!
Collingwood:
Fresh faced, straight into the side, he got a hundred in difficult conditions in India.聽He took to international cricket as if he鈥檇 been playing it for many a year.
Hoggard:
I don鈥檛 think I watched any of him actually batting! I didn鈥檛 watch the batters! It wasn鈥檛 'wow, look at this kid, he鈥檚 got all the skill in the world and all the shots'.聽
But having arrived the day before, to have that mental toughness to go out there, to get the runs was fantastic.聽
Collingwood:
Funnily enough I've been at the other end when he's scored a lot of his hundreds, and be able to give him a hug and allow him to celebrate.
Hoggard:
The amazing thing was he got on a plane from the West Indies, to London, then a plane from London to India, then he had to get to Nagpur then he played the next day!
That takes it out of you, especially when you鈥檙e elevated up a team and up a level, and you have all of the anxieties and the doubts and everything else.
Collingwood:
Let鈥檚 be honest with a technique like that it鈥檚 incredible he鈥檚 got to ten Test matches!
*Flintoff quotes courtesy of BBC Radio