5 Legendary cricketers who made their international debut against India

2) Steve Waugh – 1985, Melbourne

Steve Waugh during a match early in his career

The elder Waugh twin, Steven, made his debut against India in the second Test of the three-match series in Australia. Waugh was roped into the team as an all-rounder in a team that featured the likes of Geoff Marsh, Allan Border and David Boon. India, led by Kapil Dev, were on the rise as a cricketing nation in the first half of the 1980s, buoyant after their World Cup triumph a couple of years back.

The fact that Waugh made his debut in the Australian cathedral of cricket can now be safely characterised as an apt metaphor, given what he did for the Kangaroos in his career. He got a chance to bat at no. 6 in the first innings and managed 13 from 32 balls as Australia were dismissed for 262. Waugh performed well with the bowl in the first innings, picking up two wickets (Ravi Shastri and Syed Kirmani) in his spell of 11 overs.

He was dismissed cheaply in the second innings (5 off 20 balls), getting castled by Ravi Shastri and did not get a chance to bowl as the match ended in a draw. It was a sedated start to a career that would end up defining an era and establish unprecedented dominance in world cricket.