Top 5 best bowling figures against India on Test debut ft. Tom Hartley
In what was an exhilarating day of Test cricket, England pipped India to clinch the first of the five-match series in Hyderabad on Sunday (January 28).
The hosts were far ahead in the game, as they took a lead of 190 runs after the first innings. In their second essay, the English batters put up a great fightback, led by Ollie Pope's 196.
With Pope's outstanding knock, the visitors set India a competitive target of 231 runs, but the hosts were still favourites, given how they had batted in the first innings.
To the surprise of many Indian fans, the English bowling attack completely changed their approach and posed a genuine threat in the fourth innings.
After Rohit Sharma lost his wicket for 39, none of the Indian batters managed to breach the 30-run mark as England skittled the hosts for 202.
England's stupendous bowling performance was led by debutant Tom Hartley. The left-arm spinner bagged a seven-for in the fourth innings, coming up with one of the best bowling performances on Test debuts against India.
In the recent past, India have had a knack of losing wickets against debutants in Test cricket. Even in the recently-concluded Test series against South Africa, Nandre Burger, who made his debut, took seven wickets in the first match in Centurion.
During the 2023 Border-Gavasker Trophy, Australia introduced Todd Murphy to the international arena, and the off-spinner famously took 7/124 in Nagpur.
With his match-winning 7/62, England's Tom Hartley has joined a list of great bowlers who did extremely well on their Test debuts against India.
On that note, let's take a brief look at the list of five bowlers with the best figures against India on their Test debuts.
#1. 8/64 - Lance Klusener in Kolkata, 1996
The record for bowling the best bowling spell on a Test debut against India is held by former South African great, Lance Klusener.
South Africa were under pressure when they lost the first of the three-match series in Ahmedabad against India in 1996. For the second Test, the visitors made a change by replacing Fanie de Villiers with Klusener, who came on the back of a decent first-class campaign.
South Africa made a superb start to the Kolkata Test as they piled up 428 runs in the first innings. The visitors took a 99-run lead after bundling out India for 329. While Allan Donald took three wickets, Klusener remained wicketless in his 14 overs.
It was during the fourth innings when Klusener came to his own and completely owned the stage. The right-arm pacer bowled with venom and induced edges from the Indian batters.
Klusener took out some big names, including the likes of Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Mohammad Azharuddin and ended his 21.3 over spell with 8/64.
His outstanding bowling wrapped up the Indian innings at only 137 runs as South Africa won the Test by a margin of 329 runs.
#2. 8/215 - Jason Krejza in Nagpur, 2008
Former Australian off-spinner Jason Krejza had a bittersweet Test debut in Nagpur in November 2008. It was the fourth and the last Test match of the series, where Krejza replaced Stuart Clarke.
With Krejza being the only frontline spinner in the Australian side, he went on to bowl a marathon spell of 43.5 overs. While the debutant didn't run through the line-up but picked up wickets through patience and perseverance.
Against a top-quality Indian batting line-up, Krejza didn't bow down his guard and kept channeling right areas. His first Test wicket came in the form of Rahul Dravid, who was dismissed on a duck. As the match went on, Krejza got the better of the likes of Virender Sehwag, VVS Laxman, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni.
He completed the formalities by picking up the Indian lower-order quickly and finished with a superb spell of 8/215.
Even in the second innings, Krejza took four wickets, including Ganguly's dismissal on a golden duck. Interestingly, it was also Ganguly's last Test appearance.
Krejza took 12/356 in the entire game, which is the fifth-best bowling spell in a Test match by a debutant.
#3. 7/46 - John Lever in Delhi, 1976
![A potrait of John Lever [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/01/9f64b-17065372281496-1920.jpg)
When England travelled to India for a five-match Test series in 1976, they saw a new player enter the horizon in John Lever.
On his Test debut at the then-Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi, Lever delivered an outstanding performance, claiming seven wickets for 46 runs in India's first innings. This remarkable achievement remains the best bowling figures by an English debutant in Test cricket against India.
Lever's exceptional display played a pivotal role in England's victory in that match as the visitors enforced a follow-on on after the hosts were bundled out for 122 in the first innings.
When Lever took his seven-wicket haul, he completely ransacked the Indian top-order and dismissed the likes of Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath and Gundappa Vishwanath.
Lever took three more wickets in the second innings as England won the Test match by an innings and 25 runs.
Despite this memorable debut, Lever's career did not reach the same heights, and he was unable to replicate the brilliance of his maiden Test performance. He went on to play 21 Tests for his country.
#4. 7/49 - Alec Bedster in London, 1946
It is always an honor to make your Test debut at the Lord's Cricket Stadium. Former English bowler Alec Bedster took his first opportunity with both hands and made his debut a game to remember.
In the opening Test of the 1946 series, Bedster wreaked havoc and returned phenomenal figures of 7/49 in the first innings. He got some important wickets in the form of Vijay Merchant, Lala Amarnath and Vijay Hazare.
Using his inswing deliveries to a great effect, Bedser followed his first-innings performance with another four-wicket haul in the second essay.
#5. 7/62 - Tom Hartley in Hyderabad, 2024
Despite trailing by 190 runs after the first innings and not having an experienced bowling unit against a formidable side, England certainly showcased exemplary character to script a come-from-behind victory.
While India might have fancied their chances of chasing down 231, they were simply outclassed by a 24-year-old Tom Hartley.
In the first innings, Hartley was taken down by the Indian batters as he gave away 131 runs in just 25 overs. He was welcomed to Test cricket with a six off his very first delivery by Yashasvi Jaiswal, who dispatched him for another maximum in the over.
However in the second innings, he altered his line and length exceedingly well. Hartley constantly posed questions on the Indian batters and was rewarded for his efforts.
He first removed Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill in the same over before trapping Rohit Sharma in front of the stumps. Next, he took another important fish in Axar Patel, who was promoted up the order to negotiate the left-arm spin.
Just when KS Bharat and Ravichandran Ashwin were building a partnership to take the game deep, Hartley came again and completed his fifer as he cleaned up the Indian wicket-keeper.
He wrapped up the innings by stumping both Ashwin and Mohammed Siraj and finished his magical spell at 7/62.