5 legendary England cricketers who endured forgettable Test debuts

#3 – Derek Underwood (Trent Bridge, 1966)

Underwood failed to pick up a wicket from 45 overs across both innings

Often unplayable on pitches with even a hint of dampness, Derek Underwood remains England’s most successful spinner of all time. Just short of 300 wickets at an average slightly over 25, the left-armer was a force to reckoned with in the late 60s and 70s.

However, his debut Test did not offer him anything apart from the experience of bowling to an imposing West Indies lineup featuring the likes of Sir Garry Sobers, Rohan Kanhai and Seymour Nurse among others. Even though he kept things tight by going at only two runs per over, as many as 45 overs across both innings were not enough to pick that elusive maiden wicket.

Performance on Test debut – 0/5 from 2 overs & 0/86 from 43 overs

Overall career – 297 wickets from 86 matches at an average of 25.83 with 17 five-wicket hauls and 6 ten-wicket hauls