Chetan Sharma, born on January 3rd 1966, in Ludhiana, Punjab, was a right-hand batsman, and specially a right-arm medium pace bowler. Interestingly enough, both the unparalleled Kapil Dev and Chetan Sharma himself, was tutored by the famous Dronacharya Award winner, Desh Prem Azad. His first class debut took place for Haryana, when he was only 16.
Cricket Career of Chetan Sharma
His introduction to One-Day International was the next thing to happen. He made his debut at the age of 17, only. Finally, the following year at the age of 18 years and 288 days, Chetan Sharma, entered the world of Test cricket. In 1984, his debut was in the Test Match between Pakistan Vs India at Lahore in Pakistan. He demonstrated his mettle, by capturing a wicket for the fifth ball in Test cricket.
He sustained and improved upon his bowling attributes. Next year in 1985, he marvellously picked up fourteen wickets in the three Tests in Sri Lanka.
That same season, afterwards, he was featured by the selectors to embark on a sports-combat for Team India in the tour to Australia. Outstanding was his victory-assuring 38 not out, which helped India qualify to the final of the league of the World Series Cup.
Sharma bloomed into his finer form in England in 1986. He emerged glorious, by pocketing 16 wickets in just two Tests. He created a remarkable record of taking ten wickets by an Indian bowler in that foreign land of Birmingham. This achievement also incorporated his perfection-peak of 6 wickets for 58 runs. India tasted triumph of 2-0 over England in 1986.
Chetan`s sway over international sphere crushed the batting defence of West Indies in 1987-88, with his taking home of 5 wickets for the fourth time in Tests at New Delhi. Unfortunately, at a young age of 20, he suffered injuries, which interrupted his escalation into prosperity.
He was most of the times, the opening bowler, matching Kapil Dev, for the subsequent three years.
Moreover, his calibre to score valuable runs, promptly, as a lower-order batsman, proved Chetan Sharma, as an able all-rounder, succeeding the master all-rounder, Kapil Dev.
The Reliance World Cup in 1987, witnessed Chetan Sharma as the first hat-trick achiever, in the history of tournament. His dashing bowling successively clean bowled Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield of New Zealand.
Chetan Sharma displayed a praiseworthy innings rivalling the England team, in the Nehru Cup in 1989. He took charge of batting at a third wicket stand, with India, chasing a high target of 256. The resolute Sharma, rushed ahead to reach a valiant 101 not out of 96 balls. This was in fact a victory-deciding feat.
Chetan Sharma had the merit to set command over the dangerous bowlers like McDermott, Hughes and Reid. He took 2 hours to come up to 54, while functioning as a night watchman against Australia in 1985.
Chetan Sharma has performed brilliantly for India and contributed towards teams win. In the following match, he executed an indispensable role for India`s victory over Australia. He set the instance of a magnificent collaboration of 40 runs with the skilled Manoj Prabhakar. Chetan made the match memorable, by concluding it with a six.
However, things were no more in shape. Chetan bowling prowess had declined visibly. He was dropped for the tour of Pakistan, post a few weeks.
Yet doors did not close down for Chetan Sharma. In the course of the three nation`s tournament of 1994, in one of his last play against New Zealand his bowling outcome was 1-0-23-0, although just before he had been unnerved by five boundaries in his consecutive balls by the aggressive Stephen Fleming.
Batting and Fielding Averages
|
Mat |
Inns |
NO |
Runs |
HS |
Ave |
BF |
SR |
100 |
50 |
4s |
6s |
Ct |
St |
| Tests |
23 |
27 |
9 |
396 |
54 |
22.00 |
|
|
0 |
1 |
|
1 |
7 |
0 |
| ODIs |
65 |
35 |
16 |
456 |
101* |
24.00 |
504 |
90.47 |
1 |
0 |
31 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
| First-class |
121 |
145 |
39 |
3714 |
114* |
35.03 |
|
|
3 |
21 |
|
|
71 |
0 |
| List A |
107 |
60 |
24 |
852 |
101* |
23.66 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
|
20 |
0 |
Bowling Averages
|
Mat |
Inns |
Inns |
Runs |
Wkts |
BBI |
BBM |
Ave |
Econ |
SR |
4w |
5w |
10 |
| Tests |
23 |
39 |
3470 |
2163 |
61 |
6/58 |
10/188 |
35.45 |
3.74 |
56.8 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
| ODIs |
65 |
63 |
2835 |
2336 |
67 |
3/22 |
3/22 |
34.86 |
4.94 |
42.3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| First-class |
121 |
|
19934 |
11282 |
433 |
7/72 |
|
26.05 |
3.39 |
46.0 |
|
24 |
1 |
| List A |
107 |
|
4504 |
3614 |
115 |
5/16 |
5/16 |
31.42 |
4.81 |
39.1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Later Phase of Chetan Sharma`s Career
Chetan Sharma, thus in the early nineties, was not that impressive as he had been earlier. In 1993, he migrated from
Haryana to
West Bengal .He retained his relations with Bengal cricket till the time of his retirement. After, leaving cricket as a player, he resorted to commentary on cricket. He played the role of an expert commentator in various news channel and sports channels as well. He worked for
NEO Sports for some time as well.
Chetan Sharma augmented the scope of his contribution to cricket, by establishing a cricket academy in
Panchkula District in Haryana in 2004.
A player like Chetan Sharma has contributed immensely to
Indian Cricket in the international realms of the game.
