Stats: Test debutants winning the Man of the Match award
Adam Voges was declared Man of the Match for his efforts in scoring an unbeaten 130 in the first innings against West Indies at Dominica, Roseau, which helped Australia take a healthy lead of 170 runs and then win the match by nine wickets. It was a good start to the Test career of Adam Voges, albeit a very late one at the age of 35. By scoring a century, Voges became the oldest to score a century on Test debut at the age of 35 years and 243 days.
Bagging the Man of the Match award on one’s debut Test definitely speaks of the talent and skill of the player, and about the individual’s ability of handling pressure.
The Man of the Match award has been a regular feature of cricket matches since the 1990s only, though the award started in 1970s. Since then, there have been a good number of players who have got it on their Test debut – a total of 39 times, including Voges.
The 39 players are listed below, grouped by teams.
| Player | Batting | Bowling | Fielding | For | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kepler Wessels | 162 & 46 | DNB | 1 & 1 | Australia | England | Brisbane | 26-Nov-82 |
| Peter Taylor | 11 & 42 | 6/78 & 2/76 | - | Australia | England | SCG | 10-Jan-87 |
| Michael Clarke | 151 & 17 | DNB & 0/4 | - | Australia | India | Bangalore | 06-Oct-04 |
| Stuart Clark | 8 & DNB | 5/55 & 4/34 | - | Australia | South Africa | Cape Town | 16-Mar-06 |
| Jason Krejza | 5 & 4 | 8/215 & 4/143 | 1 | Australia | India | Nagpur | 06-Nov-08 |
| Pat Cummins | 2 & 13* | 1/38 & 6/79 | - | Australia | South Africa | Johannesburg | 17-Nov-11 |
| James Pattinson | 12 & DNB | 1/64 & 5/27 | - | Australia | New Zealand | Brisbane | 01-Dec-11 |
| Adam Voges | 130* & DNB | DNB & 0/48 | 1 | Australia | West Indies | Dominica | 03-Jun-15 |
Kepler Wessels was the first Australian and first overall to earn the Man of the Match on his Test debut. There was no player for Australia in the 1990s on the list, while six feature since 2000.
Pat Cummins got Man of the Match on his debut, but is yet to play another Test for Australia.
Kepler Wessels, Michael Clarke and Adam Voges scored a century on Test debut, while the other five were bowlers who picked up five-wicket hauls.
Jason Krejza conceded 358 runs for 12 wickets on his debut – the most runs conceded on Test debut and second highest overall.
| Player | Batting | Bowling | Fielding | For | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javed Omar | 62 & 85* | DNB | - | Bangladesh | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 19-Apr-01 |
| Mohammad Ashraful | 26 & 114 | 0/63 | - | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | Colombo (SSC) | 06-Sep-01 |
| Elias Sunny | 0 & DNB | 6/94 & 1/34 | - | Bangladesh | West Indies | Chittagong | 21-Oct-11 |
Mohammad Ashraful with 114 on his Test debut became the youngest centurion in Test cricket at the age of 17 years and 63 days.
| Player | Batting | Bowling | Fielding | For | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Newport | 26 & DNB | 3/77 & 4/87 | - | England | Sri Lanka | Lord's | 25-Aug-88 |
| Graham Thorpe | 6 & 114* | DNB | 1 & 1 | England | Australia | Trent Bridge | 01-Jul-93 |
| Dominic Cork | 30 & 23 | 1/72 & 7/43 | - | England | West Indies | Lord's | 22-Jun-95 |
| Richard Johnson | 24 | 6/33 & 0/67 | - | England | Zimbabwe | Durham | 05-Jun-03 |
| James Kirtley | 1 & 3 | 2/80 & 6/34 | 1 & 1 | England | South Africa | Trent Bridge | 14-Aug-03 |
| Andrew Strauss | 112 & 83 | DNB | 1 | England | New Zealand | Lord's | 20-May-04 |
Phil Newport did not score above 50, nor did he pick up a five-wicket haul, but his seven wickets in the match got him the award.