Santhakumaran Sreesanth by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Player:

S Sreesanth

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DateLine: 28th April 2009

 

Sreesanth is the only Kerala bowler to have taken a Ranji Trophy hat-trick. His rise, though, was rapid, and since he played for a weak side, unnoticed. Not too many bowlers get selected for the Duleep Trophy in their first season, like Sreesanth did in 2002-03 after snapping up 22 wickets in his first seven games. His progress was halted owing to a hamstring injury in the following year, but he returned stronger, with a more side-on action and increased pace and a superb display in the Challenger Trophy, in 2005, propelled him to the national squad for the Sri Lanka series. In the last game of his impressive debut season, he snapped up 6 for 55 against England, the best figures by an Indian fast bowler at home. With an aggressive approach he can be expensive in one-dayers, but is also a wicket-taking option. He does it in Tests, too - in Antigua in June 2006 he fired out Ramnaresh Sarwan and Brian Lara (for 0) in successive overs, and then took five wickets in Jamaica and played a key role in firing India to a historic triumph. His other notable achievement was when he took five wickets in an innings against South Africa to give India their first win in South Africa.