Former Australian cricketer Darren Lehmann. He was born in Gawler, South Australia, on February 5, 1970.
He was a left-handed batsman with a reputation for being rough. He was a part-time left-arm orthodox bowler as well as a batsman.
Background
Lehmann was a latecomer to the state cricket scene. At the point, he was just 17 years old.
He had made more appearances and played more first-class games than any other Australian player at the time before making his debut in 1998.
Throughout the 1990s, he was on the brink of national selection thanks to his remarkable potential to score runs and excellent domestic record. He did, however, make his acting debut in 1996.
Debut
On August 30, 1996, Lehmann made his One-Day International debut against Sri Lanka.
He didn’t have a big debut, scoring just two runs in four hits.
On March 25, 1998, he played his first Test match against India. He only got to bat in the first innings, but he did well, scoring 52 runs off 67 pitches. He went on to take one wicket as well.
However, after his debut series, he was cut from the national team, and he only became a regular player in the ODI team in 2001 and the Test team in late 2002.
Rise to Glory
In the year 1999, he rose to prominence in the ODI squad. In the World Cup Final at Lord’s, he has had the privilege of hitting the winning runs. He had already established himself as a valued member of the squad by the 2003 World Cup.
Low Points
He had a tough patch in his career as well. He had a difficult time securing a place on the Test team.
At the age of 33, he was determined to do that. He also knew a lot about the One-Day International game. Due to a broken hamstring, he had to return home during the 2004 series against India. He was dropped for good after a terrible performance against Pakistan.
Club Career
During his career, he played for a number of clubs. He was a part of Yorkshire’s County Championship-winning squad in 2001. He also played in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League for the Rajasthan Royals.
Records
In first-class cricket, Lehmann had an excellent record.
Mike Hussey held the record for playing the most games and scoring the most runs before making his international debut before Mike Hussey surpassed it.
With 13,635 runs at an average of 54.97, he was the top run scorer in Sheffield Shield/ Pura Cup history.
Retirement
In 2007, Lehmann announced his retirement from international cricket.
After that, he played in the IPL before turning to coaching. From 2009 to 2012, he was the coach of the Deccan Chargers, and then in 2013, he was the coach of Kings XI Punjab. In the 2010-11 Big Bash T20 tournament, he also coached Queensland.
He then took over as coach of the Australian Cricket team, replacing Mickey Arthur, and has been in that role ever since.