On this day: Rohit Sharma makes international debut

New Delhi, June 23 (IANS) It has been 13 years to the day when Rohit Sharma donned the Indian jersey for the first time. Rohit’s debut ODI came against Ireland on June 23, 2007 in Belfast.

Rahul Dravid was captain of the team while MS Dhoni — under whom Rohit played the initial years of his international career — was out with an injury, thus allowing Dinesh Karthik to take his place behind the stumps.

Rohit may be regarded as one the best limited-overs openers in the world currently but it would only be in 2013 that he would be promoted to the role.

In the match against Ireland, Rohit was coming all the way down at number 7. The match was shortened by rain and Ireland were all out for 193. Sourav Ganguly and Gautam Gambhir’s 162-run partnership for the second wicket helped India win the match by nine wickets (DLS method). In fact, Rohit’s only notable contribution in the match was that he took the catch that dismissed Niall O’Brien off RP Singh.

Rohit’s potential was always spoken about in his early years and eventually he has fulfilled that in limited-overs cricket. He is the only batsman to have three double tons in ODI cricket, including a mind boggling 264. His Test career never quite picked up in a similar manner but he plundered 529 runs in four innings in what was his first Test series as an opener last year against South Africa.

The 33-year-old has so far played 32 Tests, 224 ODIs and 108 T20Is in which he has scored 2141, 9115 and 2773 runs respectively.

–IANS

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