5 best bowling figures on Test debut at Lord's ft. Gus Atkinson

On his Test debut on July 10, 2024, young Gus Atkinson stole the show at Lord's. Even though the game is a tribute to the retiring legend James Anderson, Atkinson dominated the West Indies with an impressive seven-wicket haul.

This performance is the second-best by an English debutant in Test history, falling just short of Dominic Cork's record set in 1995.

Lord's has been an iconic venue, with numerous records being created and broken. Playing at the historic venue is nothing short of a dream for players around the globe, let alone having the opportunity to debut there, especially in the longest format of the game.

Gus Atkinson bowled a mesmerising spell, one for the record books, which left the visitors in shatters. Among the many scintillating spells on Test debut at Lord's, here are the top five.

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Five best bowling figures on Test debut at Lord's

#5 Alec Bedser - 7-49 (1946)

In the first innings of the first Test against India at Lord's in June 1946, Alec Bedser accounted for seven Indian batters, ensuring that the visitors were bowled out for just 200

He ran through the Indian line-up, claiming the big wickets of Vijay Merchant, Lala Amarnath, Vijay Hazare, captain Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, Dattaram Hindlekar, CS Nayudu and Sadu Shinde.

Bedser picked up four wickets in the second innings as well, helping England to a dominating 10-wicket victory.

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#4 Gus Atkinson - 7-45 (2024)

Making his Test debut against the West Indies in the opening game of the series, Atkinson's heroics helped England bundle the visitors out for 121 in the first innings.

He picked up the first wicket of the day with the second ball of his Test career and never looked back, making it one to remember. Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Jason Holder, Joshua Da Silva, Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph fell prey to the right-arm quick.

His figures are the second-best by an Englishman on their debut in Tests, etching his name among some greats of the game.

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#3 Dominic Cork - 7-43 (1995)

Dominic Cork didn't have a great start in his debut Test, as he picked up just a solitary wicket, conceding 72 runs in the first innings against the West Indies.

Undeterred, Cork was determined to make an impact on debut, and he more than made up for it in the second innings. The right-arm fast bowler made a comeback for the ages, grabbing seven wickets for 43 runs in 19.3 overs.

His wickets included big names like Sherwin Campbell, Jimmy Adams, Richie Richardson, Keith Arthurton, Ottis Gibson, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. They remain the best figures by an English bowler on Test debut as well.

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#2 Bob Massie - 8-84 (1972)

It would be safe to say that Australian fast bowler Bob Massie had a Test debut unlike any other player in the history of the game. He gave a famed English line-up a horror that left them shell-shocked, that too in their own backyard, at the iconic Lord's cricket ground.

Massie accounted for eight wickets, giving away 84 runs in the first innings as England were bowled out for 272 in the second Test in June 1972. His wicket haul included Geoff Boycott, Mike Smith, Basil D'Oliveira, Tony Greig, Alan Knott, Ray Illingworth, John Snow and Norman Gifford.

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#1 Bob Massie - 8-53 (1972)

As if his exploits in the first innings were not enough, Bob Massie returned to haunt England and single-handedly destroyed them in the second innings of the same Test at Lord's.

Massie claimed eight wickets again, this time giving away 53 runs as he turned into a nightmare for the hosts, one they would simply want to forget and never talk about.

His figures of 8-53 top this list. A 16-wicket haul on Test debut, that too at Lord's against England back in the day, is a phenomenal feat for anybody to have achieved in history.