Almanac Teams: Test Debutants in India

 

 

After the teams I did for each main Test ground locally, I will do the same for Australian teams touring.

The first is Australians that debuted in India and a team of Indians who debuted against Australia in India.

The team is a blend of best players for the XI with some that also had a great debut.

I will also give a little description on why I chose that player.

I looked forward to all correspondence.

 

 

Highlights of these teams are:

 

  • There are 19 Australians to debut in India and 26 Indians to debut against Australia in India.
  • One Australian and two Indians have scored 100 on debut.
  • Two Australians took five wickets on debut and two Indians did too.
  • What I did notice was the number of cricketers who got Sachin Tendulkar in their first Test or was their first wicket. Cameron White, Peter Siddle and Peter George’s first Test wicket was Sachin Tendulkar. Nathan Hauritz and Adam Dale claimed Tendulkar in their first Test though not as their first wicket and Peter McIntyre in his second Test but first in India claimed Tendulkar as his first Indian wicket.

 

 

Australian XI

 

John Rutherford

Glenn Maxwell

Michael Clarke (C)

Darren Lehmann

Moses Henriques

Cameron White

Barry Jarman (VC)

Gavin Robertson

Peter Siddle

Todd Murphy

Jason Krejza

Twelfth man Nathan Hauritz

 

 

 

Indian XI

Shikhar Dhawan

Murali Vijay

Cheteshwar Pujara

Gundappa Viswanath

Mohinder Amarnath

Salim Durani

Dinesh Karthik

Harbhajan Singh

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Shivlav Yadav

Dilip Doshi

Twelfth man Gautam Gambhir

 

 

 

Australia

 

John Rutherford  – Brabourne Stadum Mumbai 1956

30 and 0/4 and 1/11

1 Test, 30 Runs, Average 30, 1 Wicket at 15

Rutherford was the first born and raised Western Australian to play Test cricket.

 

Glenn Maxwell – Hyderabad 2013

13 and 8 and 4/127

7 Tests, 339 Runs, Average 26.07, Highest Score 104, 8 Wickets at 42.62, Best Bowling 4/127

People might think I am silly having Maxwell open the batting but there are not many options, plus Maxwell opened the batting in the second innings in Delhi in 2013 during a match in which he also opened the bowling in the second innings. He made 8 and took 2/54 from 11 overs. All of Maxwell’s seven Tests have been on the subcontinent.

 

Michael Clarke – Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 2004

151 and 17 and 0/4

115 Tests, 8,643 Runs, Average 49.10, Highest Score 329*, 31 Wickets at 38.19, Best Bowling 6/9

Clarke came into the Test side with Ricky Ponting injured and was part of Australia’s historic 2-1 win in India. Clarke scored 100 on debut and in his fourth Test took 6/9, which were his first ever wickets.

 

Darren Lehmann – Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 1998

52 and 1/27

27 Tests, 1,798 Runs, Average 44.95, Highest Score 177, 15 Wickets at 27.46, Best Bowling 3/42

Lehmann was twelfth man at the age of 19 against Pakistan in 1990 but had to wait until he was 28 to make his Test debut. Lehmann coached Australia from 2013 to 2018.

 

Moses Henriques – Chennai 2013

68 and 81* and 1/48

4 Tests, 164 Runs, Average 23.42, Highest Score 81*, 2 Wickets at 82, Best Bowling 1/48

Henriques is the second ever cricketer from Portugal to play Test cricket.

 

Cameron White – Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 2008

6 and 18* and 0/39 and 1/49

4 Tests, 146 Runs, Average 29.20, Highest Score 46, 5 Wickets at 68.40, Best Bowling 2/71

White’s first Test wicket was Sachin Tendulkar caught by Michael Clarke for 49. White captained Australia for one ODI match and six T20 matches. He was also named captain of Victoria at the age of 20.

 

Barry Jarman – Kanpur 1959

1 and 0 and 2 Catches

19 Tests, 400 Runs, Average 14.81, Highest Score 78, 50 Catches and 4 Stumpings

Jarman was vice captain to Bill Lawry in the 1968 Ashes tour and captained at Headingly when Lawry was injured. Jarman was later an ICC match referee.

 

Gavin Robertson – Chennai 1998

57 and 0 and 4/72 and 1/92

4 Tests, 140 Runs, Average 20, Highest Score 57, 13 Wickets at 39.61, Best Bowling 4/72

Robertson and Ian Healy shared a 96 run partnership for the ninth wicket. Robertson is the drummer in the band ‘Six and Out’.

 

Peter Siddle – Mohali 2008

0 and 0* and 3/114 and 1/62

67 Tests, 1,164 Runs, Average 14.73, Highest Score 51, 221 Wickets at 30.66, Best Bowling 6/54

Siddle got a hat trick against England on his 26th birthday. His first Test wicket was Sachin Tendulkar.

 

Todd Murphy – Nagpur 2023

0 and 2 and 7/124

6 Tests, 122 Runs, Average 13.55, Highest Score 41, 21 Wickets at 25.42, Best Bowling 7/124

Murphy was a medium pace bowler before being encouraged to try spin from former Victorian spinner Craig Howard.

 

 

Jason Krejza [Source: Author]

 

Jason Krejza – Nagpur 2008

5 and 4 and 8/215 and 4/143

2 Tests, 71 Runs, Average 23.66, Highest Score 32, 13 Wickets at 43.23, Best Bowling 8/215

Krejza’s eight wickets in his debut innings is equal most ever on debut (others have fewer runs scored against them).

 

Twelfth man Nathan Hauritz – Wankhede Mumbai 2004

0 and 15 and 3/16 and 2/87

17 Tests, 426 Runs, Average 25.05, Highest Score 75, 63 Wickets at 34.98, Best Bowling 5/53

Hauritz waited four years between his first and second Tests for Australia. Hauritz also claimed Tendulkar’s wicket in his first Test (though it was the fourth wicket taken in the second innings).

 

 

 

India

 

Shikhar Dhawan – Mohali 2013

187

34 Tests, 2,315 Runs, Average 40.61, Highest Score 190

Dhawan lived at outer Melbourne suburb Clyde North while an Indian cricketer from 2015-2019.

 

Murali Vijay – Nagpur 2008

33 and 41

61 Tests, 3,982 Runs, Average 38.28, Highest Score 167, 1 Wicket at 198, Best Bowling 1/12

Vijay’s sole Test wicket was Moeen Ali lbw for 32.

 

Cheteshwar Pujara – Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 2010

4 and 72

103 Tests, 7,195 Runs, Average 43.60, Highest Score 206*

Pujara was player of the series against Australia in 2018-2019 when he scored 521 runs in four Tests at 74.42. Pujara made three centuries for the series and faced 1,258 balls – a record for an Indian player in Australia.

 

Gundappa Viswanath – Kanpur 1969

0 and 137 and 0/4 and 0/4

91 Tests, 6,080 Runs, Average 41.93, Highest Score 222, 1 Wicket at 46, Best Bowling 1/11

Viswanath’s sole Test wicket was Jim Higgs caught for 7. The match was heading for a draw with Viswanath being the eighth bowler in 151 overs. He is also one of only 25 cricketers to score a double century on first class debut.

 

Mohinder Amarnath – Chennai 1969

16* and 0 and 0/21 and 2/31

69 Tests, 4,378 Runs, Average 42.50, Highest Score 138, 32 Wickets at 55.68, Best Bowling 4/63

Amarnath was picked as the new ball bowler with four spin bowlers and batted at number eight, he finished as a number three batter who also bowled. Amarnath was often picked as India would play at least three spin bowlers. Mohinder’s father Lala played 24 Tests and brother Surinder played 10.

 

Salim Durani – Brabourne Stadium Mumbai 1960

18 and 0/9

29 Tests, 1,202 Runs, Average 25.04, Highest Score 104, 75 Wickets at 35.42, Best Bowling 6/73

Durani is the only Indian cricketer to have been born in Afghanistan.

 

Dinesh Karthik – Wankhede Mumbai 2004

10 and 4 and 1 catch and 1 stumping.

26 Tests, 1,025 Runs, Average 25, Highest Score 129, 57 Catches and 6 Stumpings

When Dhoni came into the national team, Kartik played some Tests as a specialist opening bat.

 

Harbhajan Singh –  Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 1998

4* and 0 and 2/112 and 0/24

103 Tests, 2,224 Runs, Average 18.22, Highest Score 115, 417 Wickets at 32.46, Best Bowling 8/84

Singh came of age during Australia’s tour of India in 2001, where he took 32 wickets at 17.03 including a hat trick (Ponting, Gilchrist and Warne). The total wickets was remarkable as it was over just three Tests and the next best for India took three wickets.

 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar – Chennai 2013

38* and 0/52

21 Tests, 552 Runs, Average 22.08, Highest Score 63*, 63 Wickets at 26.09, Best Bowling 6/82

Kumar was India’s player of the series in England 2014 where he took 19 wickets at 26 including 6/82 at Lords.

 

Shivlav Yadav – Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 1979

4/49 and 3/32

35 Tests, 403 Runs, Average 14.39, Highest Score 43, 102 Wickets at 35.09. Best Bowling 5/76

Yadav was president of the BCCI in 2014.

 

 

Dilip Doshi [Source: Author]

 

Dilip Doshi – Chennai 1979

3 and 6/103 and 2/64

33 Tests, 129 Runs, Average 4.60, Highest Score 20, 114 Wickets at 30.71, Best Bowling 6/102

Doshi holds the record for the most Test match innings in a career without ever batting above someone else in the order with 38 innings at Number 11

 

Twelfth man Gautam Gambhir – Wankhede Mumbai 2004

3 and 1

58 Tests, 4,154 Runs, Average 41.95, Highest Score 206

Gambhir was a member of parliament from 2019-2024 and was India’s coach against Australia in Australia for the 2024-2025 series.

 

 

Other Australians

 

Jack Wilson – Brabourne Stadum Mumbai 1956

0/39 and 1/25

1 Test, 1 Wicket at 64

Wilson toured England in 1956 which involved one Test against Pakistan and three against India on the way home. Wilson came into the side for an injured Ian Johnson.

 

Rex Sellers – Eden Gardens Kolkata 1964

0 and 0/17

1 Test, 0 Runs, 0 Wickets

Sellers is the second Indian-born cricketer to play for Australia.

 

Brad Hogg – Delhi 1996

1 and 4 and 1/69

7 Tests, 186 Runs, Average 26.57, Highest Score 79, 17 Wickets at 54.88, Best Bowling 2/40

Hogg was a member of the 2003 and 2007 World Cup wins and played in the BBL until he was 47.

 

Paul Wilson – Eden Gardens Kolkata 1998

0* and 0* and 0/50

1 Test, 0 Runs, 0 Wickets

Wilson played 11 one day matches for Australia and then became a Test umpire for eight Tests and 36 one day matches.

 

Adam Dale – Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 1998

5 and 3/71 and 0/21

2 Tests, 6 Runs, Average 2, 6 Wickets at 31.16, Best Bowling 3/71

Dale was a member of Australia’s 1999 winning World Cup squad. Dale claimed Tendulkar as his second Test wicket in his first Test when he bowled him for 177.

 

Peter George – Bengaluru (formerly Bangalore) 2010

2 and 0 and 2/48 and 0/29

1 Tests, 2 Runs, Average 1, 2 Wickets at 28.50

George’s first Test wicket was Sachin Tendulkar as well, bowled for 214.

 

Matthew Kuhnemann – Delhi 2023

6 and 0 and 2/72 and 0/38

3 Tests, 12 Runs, Average 4, Highest Score 6, 9 Wickets at 31.11, Best Bowling 5/16

Kuhnemann was not selected for the India tour but flew over as a replacement for Mitchell Swepson who came home for personal reasons.

 

 

Other Indians

 

Bundi Kunderan – Brabourne Stadum Mumbai 1960

19 and 2 and 0 catches

18 Tests, 981 Runs, Average 32.70, Highest Score 192, 23 Catches and 7 Stumpngs

Kunderan with 525 has the third most runs by a wicketkeeper in a Test series. The series was 1963-1964 against England in a five Test series. Dennis Lindsay with 606 and Andy Flower with 540 are the only ones above him.

 

AG Milka Singh – Chennai 1960

16 and 9

4 Tests, 92 Runs, Average 15.33, Highest Score 35

 

Man Sood – Chennai 1960

0 and 3

1 Test, 3 Runs, Average 1.50

 

Prince Kumar Indrajitsinhji – Chennai 1964

4 and 0

4 Tests, 51 Runs, Average 8.50, Highest Score 23

Indrajitsinhji’s grandfather was brother to champion English cricketer Ranjitsinhji.

 

Raju Kulkarni – Wankhede Mumbai 1986

3/85

3 Tests, 2 Runs, Average 1, Highest Score 2, 5 Wickets at 45.40, Best Bowling 3/85

 

David Johnson – Delhi 1996

0* and 0/12 and 1/40

2 Tests, 8 Runs, Average 4, Highest Score 5, 3 Wickets at 47.66, Best Bowling 2/52

 

Harvinder Singh – Chennai 1998

0* and 1/28 and 0/9

3 Tests, 6 Runs, Average 2, Highest Score 6, 4 Wickets at 46.25, Best Bowling 2/62

 

Rahul Sanghvi – Wankhede Stadium Mumbai 2001

2 and 0 and 2/67 and 0/11

1 Test, 2 Runs, Average 1, 2 Wickets at 39

Sanghvi in a domestic one day match took 8/15 for Delhi in 1997-1998

 

Sairaj Bahutule – Chennai 2001

21* and 0 and 1/70 and 1 32

2 Tests, 39 Runs, Average 13, Highest Score 21*, 3 Wickets at 67.66, Best Bowling 1/32

 

Sameer Dighe – Chennai 2001

4 and 22* and 1 Stumping.

6 Tests, 141 Runs, Average 15.66, Highest Score 47, 12 Catches and 2 Stumpings

Dighe was coach of Hong Kong in 2007.

 

Amit Mishra – Mohali 2008

0* and 5/71 and 2/35

22 Tests, 648 Runs, Average 21.60, Highest Score 84, 76 Wickets at 35.72, Best Bowling 5/71

 

Kuldeep Yadav – Dharamsala 2017

7 and 4/68 and 0/23

13 Tests, 199 Runs, Average 13.26, Highest Score 40, 56 Wickets at 22.16, Best Bowling 5/40

Yadav started as a fast bowler before being convinced to try left arm wrist spin.

 

Srikar Bharat – Nagpur 2023

8 and 1 Catch and 1 Stumping

7 Tests, 221 Runs, Average 20.09, Highest Score 44, 18 Catches and 1 Stumping

 

Suryakumar Yadav – Nagpur 2023

8

1 Test, 8 Runs

Yadav was appointed captain of the Indian T20 side in 2024.

 

 

 

 

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Comments

  1. Luke Reynolds says

    Some great names there, especially the very Indian sounding David Johnson!
    Was a big Lehmann fan and remember watching every ball of his debut innings. Glad you noted the Six and Out drummer!

  2. Thanks Luke for kind words.
    Johnson sadly passed away last year

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