Who are the greatest Test match debutants of all time?

15 greatest Test debuts of all time

Modified Apr 18, 2020 16:31 IST

Lance Klusener vs India, Kolkata, 1996

Lance Klusener celebrates his eight-wicket haul.

Lance Klusener, renowned amongst the premier all-rounders of the world, hit the ground running by scalping eight wickets against India on debut. He clocked decent pace, but it was the subtle lateral movement he generated off the deck tricked the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Mohammed Azharuddin. After being wicketless in the first innings, he uprooted India in the second and paved the way for South Africa's massive 329-run victory.

Mayank Agarwal vs Australia, Melbourne, 2018

Debuting in a Boxing Day Test match can be daunting. But not for Mayank Agarwal. The Karanataka man made a seamless transition from domestic to top-flight cricket with an authoritative 76.

He drove the quicks firmly through the covers before launching off-spinner Nathan Lyon down the ground. What stood out from Mayank's knock was the sheer confidence he displayed while battling one of the most hostile attacks in world cricket.

Tim Southee vs England, Napier, 2008

Tim Southee showcased his worth as a frontline swing bowler on his Test debut versus England. The Kiwi medium-pacer utilised the friendly conditions to maximum effect and breached through England's top-order, dismissing prominent batsmen like Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen en route his five-wicket haul.

Southee also impressed with the bat, yielding a noteworthy contribution of 77 runs during the second innings.

Shikhar Dhawan vs Australia, Mohali, 2013

Shikhar Dhawan slammed the fastest hundred on Test debut.

Given a chance debut at Mohali owing to the poor form of senior players, Shikhar Dhawan provided the cricketing world a glimpse of his belligerence. He made a mockery of Australia's strong attack with a rampant 187, the fastest century on Test debut ever.

He absolutely toyed with the bowlers right from get-go, slashing half-trackers through point and dispatching half-volleys from Starc & co. through covers. The innate ability to find the gaps was the highlight of Dhawan's brutal knock.

Kane Williamson vs India, Ahmedabad, 2010

Kane Williamson shines on debut with a hard-fought century.

Rewarded for his brilliant white-ball exploits with a call-up to the Test squad, Kane Williamson repaid the selectors' faith by scoring a gritty 131 on debut. The right-hander bade his time initially on a typical subcontinental pitch and gradually unleashed his wide repertoire of strokes.

Though he dealt with the pacemen effortlessly, the manner in which Williamson tackled the Indian spinners and grafted his runs was really commendable.