5 famous batsmen who were dismissed off the first ball of a Test match

Being dismissed off the first delivery of a Test match can be a crushing blow for the batsmen in question but also to the team. After all, the task of the opener to bat out the opening burst from the opposition bowlers and such an event exposes the top order quite early. Needless to say, it is a rare occurrence and has happened only 31 times in the history of the game.

Many would perhaps think that the opening batsmen who were dismissed off the first delivery of the game must have been poor or mediocre openers but many of the players involved were excellent players and some of them are included among the greats of the game. Here is a look at 5 of the most famous batsmen to have ‘accomplished’ this feat.

#5 Herbert Sutcliffe

He is among the greatest opening batsmen to have ever played the game and for 11 years from 1924 to 1935, Englishman Herbert Sutcliffe reigned as the world’s premier opening batsman. His technique, temperament, the range of strokes and immense powers of concentration made him the batsman that he became.

An average of 60.73 in 54 Test matches is ample proof of his greatness. However, back in 1933, New Zealand’s right arm fast bowler Ted Badcock achieved the unthinkable when he had Sutcliffe caught behind off the very first ball of the 1st Test match at Christchurch. It did not matter much as England went on to score 560 and the match eventually ended in a draw, but Sutcliffe’s dismissal remains the talking point from that game.