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5 ODI superstars who scored a duck in their first ODI innings

First ODI game is always a nervous moment for any ODI cricketer, no matter how good he might be or how much of quality he might have. Unless and until you get the first run out of the way, there are always butterflies in the stomach while you are playing your first ODI game.

There have been many cricketers over the years who got dismissed for a duck in their first ODI game but still went on to become mega batting superstars in 50-over cricket.

Here are the 5 ODI superstars who scored a duck in their first ODI innings –

1. MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni made his ODI debut for India in the first game of the 3-match ODI series between India and Bangladesh in December 2004. India were batting first in that game and Dhoni was sent in to bat at no. 6 towards the end of the innings.

However, before he could make any significant contribution, the wicket-keeper batsman got run out after a misunderstanding with Mohammed Kaif at the other end. Kaif, however, made up for it as he played match-winning innings of 80 and powered India to a respectable total of 245.

2. Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar played his first One Day International game for India in the bilateral ODI series between India and Pakistan in December 1989 and he also couldn’t open his account in his first ODI innings in a rain-curtailed game in Gujranwala.

The game was reduced to 16 overs each side because of the rain and batting first, Pakistan posted 87 runs on the board which might seem an easy total to chase down today, but it was a tough job against that Pakistan attack in those days. Tendulkar batted at no. 5 for India in that game and was dismissed on the second delivery that he faced. India eventually fell short of Pakistan’s total by 7 runs.

3. Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson, who is New Zealand’s captain at the moment in all three formats of the game, made his ODI debut in August 2010 in one of the games of the triangular series involving India, New Zealand and Sri Lanka.

In that game against India, Williamson batted at no. 4 and was cleaned up by Praveen Kumar before he could score a single run for the Blackcaps. However, the result of the game turned out to be in New Zealand’s favour at the end as they beat India by a colossal margin of 200 runs.

4. Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina, who was the hero of India’s victories in the quarter-final and semi-final of World Cup 2011, was also one of those players who couldn’t score any run in his first ODI innings. Raina got the opportunity to bat for India for the first time in the bilateral series between India and Sri Lanka in 2005.

Raina, who walked in to bat at no. 6, was up against Sri Lanka’s champion off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan straightaway and Muralitharan was at the peak of his career at that stage. The young and inexperienced Raina was trapped in front of the stumps on the very first ball he faced from Murali and had to return to the pavilion with a duck to his name.

5. Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan played his first ODI innings in the second match of the bilateral ODI series between India and Australia in 2010. India’s regular openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were rested for that series, so India went with uncapped Dhawan at the top.

But, Dhawan was clean bowled off the bowling of Clint McKay on the second delivery of the innings. India were chasing a stiff target of 290 runs in that game and Dhawan’s wicket was a major blow at the start, but the men in blue still managed to chase the target down, courtesy a high class hundred by Virat Kohli.

Abhishek

I write a bit on cricket and I am more interested in technical and tactical side of the game, rather than bravado.
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