5 best Indian ODI Debuts

India has always produced quality cricketers who have taken the cricketing world by storm in the past. The trend seems to continue with many talented youngsters piling up excellent performances in a bid to don the national colours as soon as possible. While every aspiring cricketer's dream is to 'Bleed Blue' atleast once in his or her lifetime, there are a few who managed to show their mettle in their very first outing. Here is a list of Indians who made their ODI debuts memorable

#5 Navjot Singh Sidhu

Debut in a big game and he delivere

If you are an ardent fan of cricket, there is a high probability that you would have listened to ‘Sidhuism’. Before carving a successful career in commentary, Sidhu was known for his maverick batting and tore apart even the best bowling attacks on his day.

A colourful character on and off the field, Sidhu made his ODI debut against Australia in the 1987 World Cup and made a sublime 73, albeit in a losing cause. Making an ODI debut during a World Cup can be highly pressurising, but Sidhu showed no nerves.

He went on to play many magnificent knocks for India which included four consecutive 50’s during the course of the 1987 World Cup and earned him the nickname ‘Sixer Sidhu’. He chalked-up 4413 runs from 136 ODIs and 3202 runs from 51 Tests in a career that spanned more than a decade. He set the international cricketing scene on fire during his playing days and continues to do so even today.

#4 Sandeep Patil

64 runs and a wicket on debut!

Sandeep Patil was one of the chief architects of India’s historic World Cup triumph in 1983. He was a swashbuckling middle order batsman and a useful medium pace bowler. Patil made his debut against Australia in 1980 made a mark in his very first match.

He made a match-winning 64 and picked up 1 wicket and was awarded the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his heroics. With 15 wickets and 1005 runs from 45 ODIs and 1588 runs from 29 Tests, he was a handy all-rounder and was the epitome of pinch-hitting throughout his career.

He added another feather to his cap when he coached underdogs Kenya who marched onto the semi-finals of the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup. Known for his fighting spirit, he went on to notch up many memorable performances, but his six consecutive 4’s off Bob Willis will forever be etched in our memories.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin has established himself as India’s lead spinner

Ravichandran Ashwin is someone who has a keen acumen of the game and is quick to understand match situations. He made a mark for himself in the Indin Premier League through his economic bowling in the powerplay overs ad his wicket taking ability under tough situations. Ashwin made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2010.

He scored a handy 38 off 32 balls and returned with figures of 2-50.Since then, he has cemented his place in the team across all formats and has developed into India’s best spin option.With 139 wickets from 99 ODIs and 124 wickets from 25 Tests including ten 5-wicket hauls, he has become a vital cog in the Indian attack.

He also has scored 2 Test centuries and topped the ICC Test all-rounder’s list. A wonderful exponent of the carrom ball, he has garnered appreciation from one and all for his excellent temperament and team spirit. His recent World Cup performances suggest that he has all the ingredients to become one of India’s greatest spinners.

#2 Brijesh Patel

He could have achieved more success

Brijesh Patel was one of the most complete cricketers during his hey days. His amazing stroke-play, brilliant fielding and galvanizing presence on the field made him the man to watch out for. Brijesh made his debut against England in 1974 and went on to become Indian cricket’s poster-boy.

His knock of 82 off 78 balls was the highest on debut for an Indian, only to be surpassed by Robin Uthappa. However, his international career was nothing to write home about and his international performances were a mere shadow of his domestic performances.With 972 runs from 21 Tests and 243runs from 10 ODIs, he had a rather short-lived International career.

But, when it comes to domestic cricket, he is an absolute heavyweight and has umpteen numbers of records to his name. He has 37 First class centuries and piled up more than 11000 runs. Considering his record, one would have definitely wanted to see more of him in 'Indian' colours.

#1 Robin Uthappa

Uthappa has found it tough to nail down a permanent spot

Robin Uthappa had a blistering start to his ODI career when he scored 86 runs vs. a touring English side in 2006. His knock remains the highest ever ODI debut score by an Indian batsman. Known for his attacking batsmanship and powerful shots, Uthappa created flutters during his initial days in international cricket.

Since then, he has played 46 ODIs and has amassed 934 runs at an average of a little over 25 runs. His recent batting exploits in the domestic circuits has opened doors for him in T20s. He was an integral part of the team that won the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 and has scored 249 runs from 13 matches.

With the advent of the IPL, he has developed into a limited overs specialist and is one of the biggest names in domestic cricket. With more opportunities coming his way, the onus is on him to cement his place in the highly competitive line-up.