Team India’s left-arm pace bowler Arshdeep Singh etched his name in the record books during his international debut against England in the first T20 International match on Thursday (July 7) at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.
Arshdeep, 23, became the 99th capped Indian player in T20 Internationals after stepping the field in Southampton for the Rohit Sharma-led side in the first T20I against England. Arshdeep was part of India’s squads for South Africa and Ireland T20Is but instead warmed the bench for all seven games.
Arshdeep Singh makes international debut for India in the first T20I
With Indian selectors resting Jasprit Bumrah for the first T20I after a gruelling fifth Test in Birmingham this week, it was a ‘Carpe Diem’ moment for the Punjab pacer to don the Blue colours for the first time on the field.
Arshdeep made the opportunity count for the best, bowling his first over to England’s destructive opener Jason Roy he used the swing at its very best to deny the batter any room to open his hands. Roy picked two runs on the fourth ball but the fact that they were conceded as leg-byes, Arshdeep ended up completing a maiden over on debut.
Arshdeep Singh joins Jhulan Goswami, and Ajit Agarkar in a rare record for India on T20I debut
Arshdeep became the third Indian bowler to bowl a maiden T20I debut over after Jhulan Goswami and Ajit Agarkar achieved the feat in 2006. Both Goswami and Agarkar bowled their maiden overs in India’s first T20 International games for women’s and men’s cricket respectively.
Goswami bowled her first over to the then England skipper Charlotte Edwards and cleaned her up on the fifth ball of the over in August 2006 at Derby.
– Suhail Chandhok (@SuhailChandhok) 8 July 2022
On the other hand, Agarkar picked the wicket of South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs on the first ball of his T20I career and followed it with five dot balls to Justin Kemp in December 2006 in Johannesburg.
Arshdeep, who was at the age of seven when Goswami and Agarkar bowled their maiden overs on debut, achieved the milestone after 16 years. Arshdeep finished 2/18 from his 3.3 overs as India went on to win the first T2oI by 50 runs. The second T20I between the two sides will be held at Edgbaston in Birmingham.