3 Cricketers who made comebacks after being written off

Nothing gets cricket fans going more than seeing their favourite stars make a resounding comeback after spending years on the sidelines. International cricket is a highly demanding arena, where you need to be at the top of your game to thrive.

Once dropped from the national team, it becomes arduous to break open the door of selection again, and very few players have managed to achieve the feat. Here’s a look at three players who made memorable comebacks after being written off.

#1 Damien Martyn

Damien Martyn's comeback story is arguably the greatest and one that every cricket enthusiast must know. Martyn was picked in Australia's Test side aged 21, and he made his debut against West Indies in November 1992. Barely a year into his international career, Martyn was shown the exit door after Australia failed to chase down 117 against South Africa at the SCG in 1994, making him the scapegoat of the defeat.

His fault? Just an aerial drive off Allan Donald which went straight into the hands of Andrew Hudson at cover as Australia got bowled out for 111, losing by five runs. The right-hander served six years in exile before his domestic performances finally caught the eye of the selectors, and he returned to the Test setup in March 2000. The right-hander never looked back and finished his career with 4406 runs in 67 Tests at an average of 46.37, laced with 13 tons and 23 fifties.

He played a crucial role in helping Australia win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India in 2004, earning the Player of the Series honour for scoring 444 runs at an average of 55.50.

#2 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan made his India debut against Australia in an ODI in Vizag on October 20, 2010. His foray into international cricket got off to the worst possible start as Clint Mackay cleaned him up for a two-ball duck. Dhawan got four more opportunities and managed scores of 51, 3, 4 and 11 against West Indies before being dropped after India's tour of the Caribbean in June 2011.

Dhawan forced his way back into the side and was named in the touring party for the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. The southpaw announced his ODI return with a 94-ball 114 as India beat South Africa by 26 runs in their tournament opener in Cardiff. Dhawan scored 363 runs in five games, averaging 90.75 at a strike rate of 101.39, including two centuries and a fifty, winning the Player of the Tournament award. 

He finished his career averaging 53.70 in ODI World Cups and 77.88 in the ICC Champions Trophy.

#3 Ashish Nehra

Comebacks are never easy when you are in your 30s, but they are almost unheard of if you are a pacer pushing to reclaim a spot in the national setup, having not played international cricket for almost five years. But Ashish Nehra fought age and injuries to make his India comeback on January 26, 2016, at the age of 36 years, eight months and 28 days.

Nehra had not played for India after their semifinal match against Pakistan at the 2011 ODI World Cup, where he also injured his middle finger on his right hand, attempting a catch in the deep. However, he went back to the domestic circuit and put in the hard yards. The left-arm seamer claimed 22 wickets in 16 games for CSK in their run to the final in IPL 2015 at an economy rate of 7.24, convincing the selectors that he still had it in him.