Quietly spoken former Test vice-captain Geoff Marsh says it was tough moment on Wednesday as he presented his son Mitchell with his baggy green cap on debut in Dubai.
West Australia's Marsh and NSW spinner Steve O'Keefe have both made their debuts for Australia in Wednesday's first Test againts Pakistan, who chose to bat first.
Mitchell Marsh joins his older brother Shaun to follow in the footsteps of their father Geoff, who played 50 Tests.
It has been a big week for Mitchell Marsh who turned 23 on Monday and has overcome a hamstring concern to prove his fitness in last week's four-day game against Pakistan A.
Geoff Marsh also presented son Shaun with his baggy green cap for his Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2011.
It's the first father-and-two-sons combination in Australia Test cricket. New Zealand's Hadlee family and India's Armanath family have also achieved the feat.
O'Keefe, 29, received his cap in an on-field presentation from former Test batsman Dean Jones before play.
"It was quite tough, really," proud father Marsh told reporters.
"It was a real honour to be asked to do it. It was just pleasing, more pleasing that he's got the opportunity to play Test cricket."
Marsh says state coach Justin Langer has done a terrific job preparing Mitchell Marsh for the big stage.
"When we're all 20, we're a bit, you know, like a 20-year-old," Marsh said of his son's previous dramas with nights out on the town.
"But he's 23 now, he's matured. I think that's a natural path kids go through."
Test skipper Michael Clarke has already described Mitchell Marsh as a future Test captain.
"It's nice to hear the Australian captain say things like that. I said to Mitch you've just got to take every day in Test cricket one day at a time," Geoff Marsh said.
"Test cricket puts out a lot of challenges. You've got to meet those challenges and you only do that through good focus and concentration and working hard."
Marsh said he was pleased for both his boys, Mitchell and Shaun.
"They followed me around while I was playing Test cricket and coaching Australia," Marsh said.
"Deep down you could see it in their eyes they wanted to follow in those footsteps and now they've both been given that opportunity."
Marsh, 55, becomes the first former Australia Test player to produce two sons who have also played for Australia.
"I guess we're just lucky," he said.
"Speak to my wife, we should have kept going."
FATHER-SON COMBINATIONS IN AUSTRALIA TEST CRICKET
* Ned Gregory (played one Test in 1877) and son Syd Gregory (58 Tests 1890-1912)
* Geoff Marsh (50 Tests 1985-92) and sons Shaun Marsh (9 Tests 20011-) and Mitchell Marsh (Test debut Oct 22 2014) FATHER AND TWO SONS IN TEST CRICKET
* Australia's Geoff Marsh and sons Shaun and Mitchell
* India's Lala Armanath and sons Surinder and Mohinder
* New Zealand's Walter Hadlee and sons Richard and Dayle.
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