Debashish Mohanty, a lean medium pacer who hails from Bhuvneshwar, can easily be considered as the lowest Indian fast bowler ever. Mohanty took the cricket fraternity by storm in the late 90s with his unusual open-chested bowling action and ability to generate moderate pace. Though born in Odisha, he was a promising player, but he has faded away from the memory of many cricket fanatics. As Mohanty turns 45, let’s take a look at some lesser known facts about the former Indian cricketer.
first international wicket
Mohanty had a stellar start to his Test career as he dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya for the first wicket of his international career. Playing the second Test of the two-match series against Sri Lanka in 1997, Mohanty made a comeback with figures of 20.4-5-78-4. The 45-year-old named Jayasuriya, Roshan Mahanama and Aravind de Silva as his first three wickets.
rise to glory
Mohanty made his first appearance on the international stage with a Test match against Sri Lanka in August 1997. However, it was the Sahara Cup against Pakistan in Toronto that helped Mohanty in the limelight. While the series is best remembered for Sourav Ganguly’s exploits as an all-rounder, Mohanty was also praised for his three-wicket haul in the second One Day International.
Maiden ODI wicket
Mohanty’s first ODI wicket also came against Pakistan. The medium pacer made left-arm Saeed Anwar his first victim in ODI cricket. The Indian cricketer took the wicket of Saeed during the first One Day International match of the Sahara Cup in 1997.
An unexpected entry into the 1999 World Cup
The Odisha-born player did not enjoy a great outing with the ball in 1998. Thus, the chances of a fast bowler coming into the Indian team for the 1999 World Cup were slim. Mohanty’s name was not even in the initial list of probables for the World Cup. However, the veteran entered the Indian team at the last minute. The conditions favorable to England’s seam and swing prompted the selectors to opt for a fast bowler. Mohanty repaid the trust of the selectors and the captain as he was the second highest wicket-taker for India in an ICC event with ten scalps.
An appearance in the 1999 World Cup logo
It is no secret that the ICC logo for the World Cup has been largely inspired by the batsmen. This was a rare occurrence in 1999 as the International Cricket Council decided to dedicate its logo to a bowler for the 1999 World Cup. Impressed by Mohanty’s fluid bowling action, the ICC made it a graphical logo.
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