How many bowlers have taken a wicket with their first ball in ODIs? (27 June 2001)

With the second ball of India's pipe opener against Zimbabwe in the Coca-Cola Cup on Sunday, Ashish Nehra bowled a perfect outswinger that kissed Alistair Campbell's blade en route to wicket keeper Samir Dighe. It was also the second ball of Nehra's ODI career. Only one Indian has got a wicket with his first delivery in ODIs and he is the unlikely figure of Sadagoppan Ramesh. In the Coca Cola Singapore Challenge against West Indies at the Kallang Ground in September 1999, skipper Sourav Ganguly pressed into service the gentle off breaks of Ramesh. His first ball, a well tossed up delivery, was intercepted down the track by pinch hitter Nixon McLean and lofted straight into the hands of Debashis Mohanty at deep mid-off.

Incredibly, in the same match there was another bowler who got a wicket with his first ball in ODIs. Entrusted to bowl the last over of the match with India on 148/7, chasing 197, Wavell Hinds who was making his debut had MSK Prasad caught by Nehemiah Perry at cover. In all eight bowlers have performed the feat including two more against India, Shahid Mahboob of Pakistan at Lahore in 1982 and Shane Thomson of New Zealand at Dunedin in 1990. One Zimbabwean figures in the list too, Everton Matambanadzo, who took out Shahid Afridi with the first ball of the ODI at Peshawar in 1996/97. The rest comprise Geoff Arnold (1972) and Clive Lloyd (1973), who were the first two, and most recently, Josephat Ababu of Kenya against Zimbabwe in Nairobi, also in September 1999.

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