IND vs NZ 2021: 5 Indians who made their Test debut in Kanpur

#3 Dilip Sardesai - December 1961

Dilip Sardesai - Indian cricket's Renaissance Man etty Images

Dilip Sardesai made his Test debut for India in the same match as Engineer. Batting at No. 7, he scored 28 runs before he was dismissed hit wicket. Sardesai looked good and hit four boundaries before being out in bizarre fashion.

He did not get another chance to showcase his batting skills in the Test as England batted out 184 overs in the second innings to draw the Test after being made to follow on. Sardesai went on to play 30 Tests for India and ended up scoring 2001 runs at an average of 39.23 with five hundreds and nine fifties.

He came to be known as Indian cricket's Renaissance Man as he revived his career in spectacular fashion, amassing 642 runs during the famous tour of West Indies in 1971, including his career-best of 212.

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#4 Pragyan Ojha - November 2009

Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Pic: Getty Images

Former Team India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha made his debut in Kanpur during the second Test of the three-match series against Sri Lanka in November 2009. It was a decent first Test for Ojha as he claimed two wickets in each innings.

India batted first in the match and posted a mammoth 642 as Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid all hit hundreds. Ojha claimed 2 for 37 in Sri Lanka’s first innings. Legendary Sri Lankan batter Mahela Jayawardene was his first Test scalp and he also dismissed Muthiah Muralidaran later in the innings.

After Lanka were made to follow on, Ojha cleaned up Muralidaran in the second innings and also took the last wicket of the match, having Chanaka Welegedara caught and bowled.

Ojha had a decent India career in the longer format. He ended up playing 24 Tests in which he claimed 113 wickets at an average of 30.26 with seven five-fors and one ten-wicket match haul.

He was the man of the match in Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell Test, claiming five wickets in both innings. Ironically, this turned out to be his last Test as well.

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#5 Bharat Arun - December 1986

Former Team India bowling coach Bharat Arun

Former India pacer Bharat Arun made his Test debut against Sri Lanka during the Kanpur Test in December 1986. India bowled first after losing the toss and Arun was India’s most successful bowler, with figures of 3 for 76 from 27 overs.

Aravinda de Silva and Roy Dias were among his victims. Arun did not get another chance to bowl as India scored 676 for 7 in their first innings in response to Sri Lanka’s 420 and the match ended in a high-scoring draw.

Arun only played one more Test for India, against Sri Lanka in Cuttack in January 1987. He dismissed Asanka Gurusinha in the first innings and went wicketless in his second. India went on to win the match by an innings and 67 runs as Kapil Dev scored a fifty and picked up five wickets in the match. Arun ended his career with four wickets at an average of 29.

He gained fame as the Team India’s bowling coach under Ravi Shastri’s tenure as head coach. With Arun in charge, India put together a solid army of fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan and Shardul Thakur also came to the fore towards the end of his stint.