5 debutants in the month of July

#1 Hardik Pandya

Pandya followed up his exceptional Champions Trophy final knock with a half-century on Test debut

A flamboyant, hard-hitting seaming all-rounder, Hardik Pandya had made rapid strides in India's limited-over teams in the past year but a Test debut had eluded him even though he found himself in the squad several times. The Kohli-Shastri tie-up put more onus on aggressive cricketers and Hardik Pandya was handed over a debut at The Galle in India's first Test against Sri Lanka.

Walking in with India in a comfortable position, Pandya smashed a run a ball half-century that included five fours and three sixes. He wasn't given the ball until late in Lanka's innings and bowled 10 overs in the whole Test, claiming a lone wicket. He was, however, effective with the old ball, generating reverse swing that promoted a couple of edges.