5 batsmen who picked a wicket off the first ball they bowled in ODIs

First ball wickets by batsmenPure batsmen are seldom known for their bowling skills. However, there have been a few exceptions in the form of all-rounders like Jacques Kallis and Sanath Jayasuriya and handy part-timers like Sachin Tendulkar and Tillakaratne Dilshan among others.There are a few batsmen in the history of ODI cricket who achieved the rare bowling feat of getting a wicket off their very first ball that they bowled. At least a couple of names in the list will come as a surprise to many as they are expected to have never turned their arm over.Let’s take a look at 5 batsmen who got there:

#5 Sadagoppan Ramesh (India)

Ramesh bowled just thrice in his ODI career

Opponent team - West Indies

Victim - Nixon McLean

The former Indian opener who also represented India in the 1999 World Cup, Sadagoppan Ramesh, has a bowling feat to his name as well; taking a wicket off the very first ball he bowled in 50-over cricket. Ramesh did it in an ODI against West Indies played at the Kallang Ground in Singapore.

His victim was former West Indies pacer Nixon McLean who got out in the 17th over of the match as he skied one to Debasis Mohanty. Ramesh bowled 3 overs in his spell and gave away 23 runs with a solitary wicket to show for his efforts.

#4 Wavell Hinds (West Indies)

Hinds bowled later in his career

Opponent team - India

Victim - MSK Prasad

Funny as it may sound, Wavell Hinds picked up a wicket off his first ball in ODI cricket in the same match as India’s Sadagoppan Ramesh. Incidentally, it was also his debut match in the 50-over format and he bowled just one over.

In a rain-curtailed match, Hinds bowled the last over for West Indies and got rid of wicket-keeper MSK Prasad off his very first delivery. Although not early on in his career, Wavell Hinds did bowl his medium pacers every now and then in the later half and managed to pick up 28 wickets in 119 matches.

#3 Martin van Jaarsveld (South Africa)

Van Jaarsveld had a brief stint with South Africa

Opponent team - Bangladesh

Victim - Talha Jubair

A popular name in English county cricket, Martin van Jaarsveld also had a short international career for his home country, South Africa. He was unable to do much of note except getting the distinction of picking up a wicket off the first ball he delivered in ODIs.

Brought in to bowl in the 44th over of the Bangladesh innings in a 50-over encounter back in 2002, Van Jaarsveld picked up the final wicket off the only ball that he bowled in the match. He has only one other wicket against his name in ODI cricket, which he took against England in 2003.

#2 Clive Lloyd (West Indies)

Lloyd did not bowl too often

Opponent team - England

Victim - Mike Smith

Barring a few matches during the beginning of his ODI career, former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd did not bowl a lot in the 87 matches that he played. However, he was one of the cricketers who achieved the rare feat of getting a wicket off his very first ball in the only limited overs format in those days.

This occurred during a 55-over ODI match between West Indies and England in 1973. Lloyd got England opener Mike Smith out bowled off with his first delivery of the match. The West Indian giant completed his quota of 11 overs conceding just 25 runs and grabbing 2 important wickets.

#1 Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)

Inzy was never known for his bowling

Opponent team - West Indies

Victim - Brian Lara

This is probably one of the more shocking and lesser-known achievements of legendary Pakistani batsman, Inzamam-ul-Haq. What makes his feat all the more interesting is the fact that his very first wicket was that of the great West Indies batsman Brian Lara.

The moment came in just the second match of his career at Faislabad in the year 1991 during a bilateral ODI series between Pakistan and West Indies. Inzamam had Lara edging one to wicketkeeper Moin Khan for 45.

The burly Pakistani ended with figures of 1 for 24 from the 3 overs that he bowled.