It’s an ultimate dream come true when you get to represent for your country and play international cricket.You have worked hard to grab this prestigious opportunity and surely would like to make the most of it to justify your selection.We have seen players kick-start their career with impressive knocks. Some of them succeeded in carrying the form forward while others faded away after remarkable start.
But there have been a few players who have had a disastrous start to their ODI debut.Their family and followerswere upset to see them scoring a duck on their debut.
But in this list you will find these cricketers went on to become stalwarts of the team. Indian cricket team were blessed to have such greats after they were unable to live up to the expectations at start.
Let’s have a look at the 5 greats who had a worst possible start in their ODI career.
- SURESH RAINA
The talented left-handed batsman from India is a permanent member of the team now in shorter formats. Played many match-winning knocks in the decade of his international cricket.A complete package-a talented batsman in any position, a clever bowler and above all an extraordinary fielder.
But his start was a ridiculous one. Debuted against Sri Lanka on 30th July 2005 and came in at no.6. But he was back to the pavilion in no time after a plumb LBW off the first ball he faced of Muttiah Muralitharan.
- VVS LAXMAN
VVS Laxman, one of the most elegant batsmen in Indian cricket also appears in the list of rare breed of players. Former batting legend, Very Very Special Laxman loved to play with his wrists whose favourite opponent were the Kangaroos.
He made his ODI debut against Zimbabwe in 2001. Came at no.3 and was adjudged LBW after three deliveries he faced.
His Test career was far better than ODIs and will be remembered as one of the fav-four in Tests of India’s dreadful batting line up.
- SHIKHAR DHAWAN
Many have had in the memory the breathtaking knock this man played in his Test debut at Mohali. But how many remember the disastrous start he had to face in start of his ODI career. Shikhar Dhawan is no doubt an awesome opener who tends to be aggressive during innings and played some blistering knocks over the years.
In his ODI debut against Australia on October 20, 2010, he faced a nightmare. He was clean-bowled for a duck off the second ball he faced.
- SACHIN TENDULKAR
The greatest legend of cricket too appears in this list and had to start from ‘zero’. The highest run-getter in international cricket and the man who has a century of 100s had scored ‘00’ in his ODI debut. The God of cricket’s feats in the world of cricket are too hard to be broken.
He debuted in ODI on 18Dec 1989 against the arch-rivals Pakistan. He came at no.5 and was caught off the ball of WaqarYounis on the second delivery.
- MS DHONI
The inborn leader in Indian cricket din’t had the best of the starts to his career. The heaps of milestones he achieved in his career makes him a ‘playing legend’. His contribution with the bat, as a wicket-keeper, as a skipper tells the story of his role how important in the team.
Scored over 8000 runs in ODIs and the fastest wicketkeeper-batsman to achieve all milestones of 1000s runs. Has the ability to finish the game as well as anchor the innings. His leadership took his team at peak at least once in every format and every competition.
‘Captain Cool’ was out for a ‘golden duck’ on his ODI debut. The match was against Bangladesh played at Chittagong in December 2004 where he had a misunderstanding with Mohammad Kaif which resulted in a run-out.