15 greatest Test debuts of all time
Cricketers toil relentlessly in the domestic circuit with a dream of representing the nation one day. When the hard work eventually bears fruit, there's joy and anxiety in equal measure. After all, debuts bring with them the burden of expectations.
While many succumb to pressure and fail to leave an impression, some brush aside the nerves and rise to the occasion.
In this list, we take a look at fifteen such incredible debut performances.
(Note: The list is in no particular order)
Sourav Ganguly vs England, Lord's, 1996
This day marked the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket. Not only did Sourav Ganguly smashed a magnificent 131 against England's high-flying pace attack on debut, he also made a powerful statement that India were no longer the underdogs.
He played each ball on its merit and was particularly quick to pounce on anything slightly loose on offer. Ganguly's crucial knock, which he still describes as the best of his career, helped India ensure a draw at the iconic Lords stadium.
Bob Massie vs England, Lord's, 1972
Bob Massie was a one-hit-wonder. Blessed with a natural outswinger, Massie decimated the England batting unit single-handedly in his first Test appearance. The Aussie seamer took the cricketing world by storm as he picked 16 wickets on debut - 8 in each innings - but couldn't follow up the exceptional start with consistent performances and faded away from the scene shortly.
Rahul Dravid vs England, Lord's, 1996
The legendary Rahul Dravid announced his arrival to international Test cricket with a stoic 95-run knock at the Lord's. The way he tackled England's pace attack in conditions tailor-made for swing bowling was simply remarkable. Although Dravid nicked Chris Lewis behind and fell short of the magical three figures by five runs, his stonewalling effort proved a precursor for things to follow.
Narendra Hirwani vs West Indies, Chennai, 1988
Leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani enjoyed a dream debut where he ripped apart the Windies batting line-up for fun. He bagged 16 wickets- 8 in each innings- with his victim list including the great Sir Viv Richards. Though cynics argue that the pitch was horribly under-prepared, producing such an exceptional performance on debut against world-class batsmen is no mean feat.
Umar Akmal vs New Zealand, Dunedin, 2009
Pakistan's young batting sensation Umar Akmal proved his credentials with two outstanding knocks on debut. He constructed his 129-run marathon effort wonderfully in the first innings, blocking the good deliveries solidly and punishing the looseners with disdain.
Akmal channelled his instinctive aggression in the second innings and hammered an entertaining 75, capping off a perfect debut match. It's a shame that Akmal couldn't maintain his performance levels and disappeared into oblivion soon thereafter.