5 Legendary cricketers who made their international debut against India
Any cricketer who has played for his country, irrespective of how his career shapes up, never forgets the debut match for several reasons. Not only is it a magnificent occasion that is the fruit of tremendous hard work and dedication, it also the first chance to showcase talent and announce yourself on a stage with the entire world’s eyes upon you. The glory of a debut becomes even larger when it is made against an arch-rival or a big team.
No one will forget Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly’s magnificent debuts against England in 1996 or Sachin Tendulkar as a 16-year-old facing the likes of Imran Khan and Wasim Akram in Pakistan on his debut. Likewise, there have been some legendary cricketers who made their international debut against India, here are the best of the lot:
#1 Sir Viv Richards – 1974, Bangalore
Luckily for India, one of the greatest batsmen of all time made his debut in the sub-continent and Indians got a chance to catch the exclusive first glimpse of an exceptional talent and a maverick, who would entertain the world for years to come.
West Indies were in India for a five-match Test series and had the likes of Alvin Kalicharan, Clive Llyod, Lance Gibbs and Andy Roberts within their ranks. India, on the other hand, had a solid batting line-up with Sunil Gavaskar, Gundappa Viswanath and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi along with the holy spin trinity of Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan.
Though the visitors notched up a massive 267-run win, it was a forgettable debut for 22-year-old Richards, who was dismissed for single-digit scores in both innings. The Bangalore wicket used to be a spinner’s paradise in those days and Richards was visibly flustered by the Indian spin bowling. He was dismissed in both innings by Chandrasekhar for scores of 4 and 3.