3 cricketers from Jharkhand who have represented India

With the Test series against South Africa in the bag, India will look to secure a clean sweep when they take on the Proteas in the third Test at Ranchi in Jharkhand, starting from Saturday, October 19.

Having won the first Test at Visakhapatnam by 203 runs and the second Test at Pune by an innings and 137 runs, India go into the third and final Test at Ranchi as firm favourites.

The final Test of the series will be played at the JSCA International Stadium Complex, which has so far hosted 1 Test, 5 ODIs and 2 T20Is. The stadium, with a capacity of 50,000, is the home ground of the Jharkhand cricket team in the Ranji Trophy.

The Jharkhand team came into existence after the state of Bihar was split into two different states -- Jharkhand state and Bihar state.

Jharkhand made its debut in the Ranji Trophy in November 2004 against Saurashtra. The team went on to win the 2010/11 Vijay Harare Trophy, defeating Gujarat in the final.

A handful of Jharkhand cricketers have gone on to represent the Indian team on the international stage and here, we take a look at three of the best.

#3. Saurabh Tiwary

Saurabh Tiwary with Suresh Raina

A left-handed batsman, Saurabh Tiwary represented India in three one-day matches towards the end of 2010. He made his debut in the second ODI during Australia’s tour of India, at Visakhapatnam on October 20, 2010, and remained unbeaten on 12 as the Men in Blue chased down 290 courtesy Virat Kohli’s hundred and fifties from Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina.

He then made an unbeaten 37 in the 4th ODI when New Zealand toured India. India were chasing 316 and Tiwary aided Yusuf Pathan, who made an unbeaten 123 from 96 balls, with three fours and a six in his knock. India won the match by five wickets.

However, Tiwary did not get to bat in the final ODI of that series, and hasn’t represented India since.

Tiwary was a part of the Indian squad that won the U-19 World Cup in 2008. He impressed in the 2010 IPL, amassing 419 runs in 16 games. However, things have gone downhill for Tiwary since and he hasn’t played for any IPL franchise since 2017.

In first-class cricket, he has featured in 91 games and has 6334 runs to his credit at an average of 46.23, with 17 hundreds and a best score of 238.

#2. Varun Aaron

Varun Aaron

A genuine fast bowler, Varun Aaron showed decent promise during his short stint in international cricket. However, constant injuries and the emergence of new pace talent have combined to keep him away from the Indian team.

He made his debut during the third Test of West Indies’ tour of India towards the end of 2011. Aaron picked up three wickets in the first innings while conceding 106 runs. His main problem has been inconsistency which has limited him to just 9 Tests. In those games, he has claimed 18 wickets at an average of 52.61 and an unacceptable economy rate of 4.77.

After missing India’s tour of Australia in 2011-12 due to a back injury, he made people sit up and take notice of his pace by breaking Stuart Broad’s nose during the 2014 tour to England.

A leg injury in the same year hampered his development though. Aaron last played for India in 2015, at Bengaluru against South Africa.

Aaron also represented India in nine ODIs between 2011 and 2014, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 38.09.

In 60 first-class matches, he has 163 wickets at 32.09.

#1. MS Dhoni

Pakistan v India - Twenty20 World Championship Final, 2007

Ranchi is the hometown of former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The young man with long hair who first shot into prominence with two hundreds in a triangular tournament for India A in Nairobi in 2004 went on to put Jharkhand on the world map in a way no one could have imagined. Once a ticket collector with the Indian Railways, Dhoni has gone on to achieve almost everything a cricketer dreams of.

Under a young Dhoni, India won the 2007 World T20, which lifted the country’s spirit after a disheartening World Cup campaign. Four years later, India became the first nation to lift the World Cup at home, when Dhoni himself sealed the title with a helicopter shot that sailed the distance. Dhoni is the only captain in world cricket to have won all three ICC titles.

With Dhoni as the leader, India also became the number one-ranked team in Test cricket, on the back of a sensational home run. He struggled as a leader and batsman away from home though as India lost consecutive Test series in England and Australia in 2011-12, which signalled the beginning of the end of his Test career.

What remains remarkable about Dhoni is his composure under pressure, although he recently admitted that he experiences all the emotions, but knows how to keep them hidden.

Even as the rumours surrounding his impending retirement grow, he remains calm as ever. It would be futile to speak about Dhoni’s numbers, which are incredible in itself, because ‘Captain Cool’s’ contribution to Indian cricket goes beyond mere stats.

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