5 cricketers whose teammate was born after their Test debut ft. James Anderson

England legend James Anderson made a comeback to the Test side for the second Test against India, which began at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Friday, February 2. The 41-year-old was not picked for the first Test in Hyderabad as Mark Wood was preferred over the veteran for his extra pace.

While Anderson has made a return to the England playing XI for the second Test against India, the game also marks the debut of 20-year-old Somerset off-spinner Shoaib Bashir. The youngster made an early impact in the game, picking up the big wicket of Indian captain Rohit Sharma for 14, having him caught at leg slip.

Amazingly, Anderson made his Test debut even before Bashir was born. The England legend made his Test debut against Zimbabwe at Lord's in May 2003. As for Bashir, he was born on October 13, 2003.

On that note, we look at five other instances of cricketers whose teammate was born after their Test debut.

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#1 Sachin Tendulkar

Mohammed Shami (left) and Sachin Tendulkar (Pics: Getty Images)

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989. He played his last international series against the West Indies at home in November 2013. This two-match Test series marked the debut of pacer Mohammed Shami, who was born on September 3, 1990.

Shami had a memorable debut series, claiming 11 wickets in four matches at an average of 16.54. He impressed fans and critics with his pace and accuracy. Tendulkar ended his career with 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, scoring 15,921 and 18,426 runs, respectively. As for Shami, he has 229 scalps from 64 Tests and 195 from 101 ODIs.

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#2 Imran Khan

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan (Pic: Getty Images)

Pakistan legend Imran Khan, who is currently in the news for his double sentencing, made his Test debut against England in Birmingham in June 1971. The former all-rounder is best remembered for leading his country to victory in the 1992 ODI World Cup, held in Australia and New Zealand. Former pacer Aaqib Javed was a key member of that Pakistan team.

Javed was born on August 5, 1972 in Sheikhupura. He made his Test debut against New Zealand in Wellington in February 1989 and his ODI debut against the West Indies in Adelaide in December 1988. Both matches featured Imran in the playing XI. Overall, Imran and Javed played five Tests and 55 ODIs together for Pakistan.

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#3 James Anderson

Rehan Ahmed (left) and James Anderson (Pics: Getty Images)

Apart from Bashir, another of his England teammates, Rehan Ahmed, was born after Anderson made his Test debut. While the England legend played his first Test in May 2003 against Zimbabwe, Rehan was born on August 13, 2004 in Nottingham.

The ongoing Test between India and England in Visakhapatnam is the first instance of Anderson and Rehan featuring in the same playing XI for their country. Rehan, a 19-year-old leg-spinner, made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi in December 2022, claiming seven wickets in the match, including a second-innings five-fer.

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#4 Javed Miandad

Pakistan batting great Javed Miandad made his Test debut against New Zealand in Lahore in October 1976. He went on to represent the country in 124 Tests and 233 ODIs, scoring 8,832 runs and 7,381 runs, respectively.

Miandad signed off from international cricket following Pakistan’s quarter-final exit from the 1996 ODI World Cup, a knockout clash in Bengaluru where they went down to India.

Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq (Pic: Getty Images)

Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was born in December 1976 in Lahore, a couple of months after Miandad’s Test debut. Miandad and Saqlain did not play any Tests or ODIs together, but the latter was part of Pakistan’s squad for the 1996 World Cup, which was Miandad’s farewell series in international cricket. Saqlain played only one match during the World Cup, which was against South Africa.

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#5 Wilfred Rhodes

England all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes made his Test debut against Australia in Nottingham in June 1899. He played 58 Tests, scoring 2,325 runs at an average of 30.19 and claiming 127 scalps at an average of 26.96 with his left-arm spin.

Left-arm pacer Bill Voce, who played 27 Tests for England, claiming 98 scalps at an average of 27.88, was born in August 1909, 10 years after Rhodes’ Test debut. Voce and Rhodes played four Tests together, all of them against the West Indies in 1930. Amazingly, Rhodes was 53, playing in what was his last international series.