 His success at the domestic level and consistent performances for the South Africa A squad led to him being chosen for the winter 2004 tour of Africa at the age of 21, thereby becoming the first South African of Indian descent to represent South Africa in international cricket.Making his debut at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on 28 November 2004, he initially made a slow start to his career, with his technique having been criticized after scoring 36 runs in the 2004 series against England.After honing his technique and working on his skills with the Dolphins, for whom he regularly top-scored in the South African domestic circuit, he proved his critics wrong in 2006 as he scored a comeback 149 against New Zealand at Newlands, Cape Town, helping guide South Africa to a match-saving draw.