5 players who made their Test debut after a long waitÂ
In the second Test between India and Sri Lanka, Malinda Pushpakumara made his Test debut. It was also the 100th first-class match for the left-arm bowler.
Although he failed to make an impact in the first innings, it was nevertheless a special moment for him as he bowled in a Test match after waiting for 99 first-class games.
The journey of Pushpakumara represents patience and strong will.
Let us take a look at other such cricketers who made their Test debut after playing domestic cricket for a long time.
#5 Andrew Symonds
The Australian ODI team that dominated world cricket during the decade of 2000-2010, owes a lot to Andrew Symonds. The all-rounder brought solidarity in the middle order and rescued the team on several occasions with his ruthless hitting.
His aggressive batting made him an essential cog of Australia's ODI unit but the same quality stamped him as a short-format specialist and hampered his prospects of playing in the Test team.
But the right-hand batsman kept on knocking the doors of the Test team by producing massive runs in first-class cricket.
The opportunity in Test cricket finally arrived in 2004 when Symonds had already become a mainstay in the ODI team. He was roped in the team that visited Sri Lanka and the all-rounder faced his first ball in Test cricket after featuring in 165 first-class games.
The start was far from impressive as he scored a duck in his first innings and had to wait for his 10th innings to make his first Test fifty. Although he finished his Test career with an average of 40.61, he was inconsistent and hence featured in only 26 Tests.