Poster boy of 1999 World Cup, career ended in 4 years, Ball used to take signals
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Debashish Mohanty's career was short, but effective. He took 57 wickets in 45 ODI matches, in which his average and strike rate were equal to the legendary bowlers of that era, but the surprising thing was that the bowler who looked capable of taking 500 wickets, got a chance to play only 2 matches in Test cricket. Not getting enough opportunities in Test cricket proved to be the biggest turning point in his career.
Poster boy of 1999 World Cup Debashish Mohanty could play only 2 tests in 4 years, career ended
New Delhi. Many players have come and gone in the history of Indian cricket, but some have left an indelible mark, one such name among them is Debashish Mohanty of Odisha. Mohanty was not just a bowler, but he was an 'artist', whose ball spoke in the air. Remember the official logo of the 1999 World Cup, the unique delivery stride of a bowler. That was not an imaginary picture, but the signature bowling action of Debashish Mohanty.
About Debashish Mohanty, Sachin Tendulkar had told in an interview that he once troubled Pakistan's great opener Saeed Anwar a lot during the Sahara Cup matches played in Toronto. After being out continuously on Mohanty's ball, Saeed Anwar had asked Sachin that how can a bowler do inswing from near the wicket.
Explosive start and World Cup hero
Mohanty, who debuted in 1997, put the batsmen in trouble with his excellent out-swing and in-swing. The golden period of his career was the 1999 England World Cup. In those circumstances, Mohanty's swing was so lethal that he took 10 wickets in just 6 matches. His partnership with Javagal Srinath helped India win many matches. At that time Mohanty was considered the future of Indian bowling.
Mohanty's career
Debashish Mohanty's career was short, but effective. He took 57 wickets in 45 ODI matches, in which his average and strike rate were equal to the legendary bowlers of that era, but the surprising thing was that the bowler who looked capable of taking 500 wickets, got a chance to play only 2 matches in Test cricket. Not getting enough opportunities in Test cricket proved to be the biggest turning point in his career.
puzzle of sudden disappearance
After 2001, Mohanty suddenly disappeared from the Indian team. There are many reasons behind this. During that period, young and fast bowlers like Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar were emerging. Mohanty mainly depended on swing. As the pitches provided less help, questions began to be raised about his pace. Despite consistent performance in domestic cricket, he did not get the confidence that a mature bowler should have got.
journey after cricket
Even though his international career was limited to 4 years, Mohanty did not give up. He took a series of wickets for Odisha in the domestic Ranji Trophy and took more than 400 wickets in first-class cricket. Later, he also served Indian cricket as a coaching and selector. Debashish Mohanty's career is an example of the fact that despite having talent, sometimes not getting the right time and right support makes a player fade away in the pages of history, but whenever the 1999 World Cup is mentioned, Mohanty will always be alive in the memories of cricket lovers through that 'action'.
