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Cricketers toil relentlessly in the domestic circuit with a dream of representing the nation one day. When the hard work eventually bears fruit, there's joy and anxiety in equal measure. After all, debuts bring with them the burden of expectations.
While many succumb to pressure and fail to leave an impression, some brush aside the nerves and rise to the occasion.
In this list, we take a look at fifteen such incredible debut performances.
(Note: The list is in no particular order)
Sourav Ganguly vs England, Lord's, 1996
This day marked the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket. Not only did Sourav Ganguly smashed a magnificent 131 against England's high-flying pace attack on debut, he also made a powerful statement that India were no longer the underdogs.
He played each ball on its merit and was particularly quick to pounce on anything slightly loose on offer. Ganguly's crucial knock, which he still describes as the best of his career, helped India ensure a draw at the iconic Lords stadium.
Bob Massie vs England, Lord's, 1972
Bob Massie was a one-hit-wonder. Blessed with a natural outswinger, Massie decimated the England batting unit single-handedly in his first Test appearance. The Aussie seamer took the cricketing world by storm as he picked 16 wickets on debut - 8 in each innings - but couldn't follow up the exceptional start with consistent performances and faded away from the scene shortly.
Rahul Dravid vs England, Lord's, 1996
The legendary Rahul Dravid announced his arrival to international Test cricket with a stoic 95-run knock at the Lord's. The way he tackled England's pace attack in conditions tailor-made for swing bowling was simply remarkable. Although Dravid nicked Chris Lewis behind and fell short of the magical three figures by five runs, his stonewalling effort proved a precursor for things to follow.
Narendra Hirwani vs West Indies, Chennai, 1988
Leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani enjoyed a dream debut where he ripped apart the Windies batting line-up for fun. He bagged 16 wickets- 8 in each innings- with his victim list including the great Sir Viv Richards. Though cynics argue that the pitch was horribly under-prepared, producing such an exceptional performance on debut against world-class batsmen is no mean feat.
Umar Akmal vs New Zealand, Dunedin, 2009
Pakistan's young batting sensation Umar Akmal proved his credentials with two outstanding knocks on debut. He constructed his 129-run marathon effort wonderfully in the first innings, blocking the good deliveries solidly and punishing the looseners with disdain.
Akmal channelled his instinctive aggression in the second innings and hammered an entertaining 75, capping off a perfect debut match. It's a shame that Akmal couldn't maintain his performance levels and disappeared into oblivion soon thereafter.
Lance Klusener vs India, Kolkata, 1996
Lance Klusener, renowned amongst the premier all-rounders of the world, hit the ground running by scalping eight wickets against India on debut. He clocked decent pace, but it was the subtle lateral movement he generated off the deck tricked the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Mohammed Azharuddin. After being wicketless in the first innings, he uprooted India in the second and paved the way for South Africa's massive 329-run victory.
Mayank Agarwal vs Australia, Melbourne, 2018
Debuting in a Boxing Day Test match can be daunting. But not for Mayank Agarwal. The Karanataka man made a seamless transition from domestic to top-flight cricket with an authoritative 76.
He drove the quicks firmly through the covers before launching off-spinner Nathan Lyon down the ground. What stood out from Mayank's knock was the sheer confidence he displayed while battling one of the most hostile attacks in world cricket.
Tim Southee vs England, Napier, 2008
Tim Southee showcased his worth as a frontline swing bowler on his Test debut versus England. The Kiwi medium-pacer utilised the friendly conditions to maximum effect and breached through England's top-order, dismissing prominent batsmen like Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen en route his five-wicket haul.
Southee also impressed with the bat, yielding a noteworthy contribution of 77 runs during the second innings.
Shikhar Dhawan vs Australia, Mohali, 2013
Given a chance debut at Mohali owing to the poor form of senior players, Shikhar Dhawan provided the cricketing world a glimpse of his belligerence. He made a mockery of Australia's strong attack with a rampant 187, the fastest century on Test debut ever.
He absolutely toyed with the bowlers right from get-go, slashing half-trackers through point and dispatching half-volleys from Starc & co. through covers. The innate ability to find the gaps was the highlight of Dhawan's brutal knock.
Kane Williamson vs India, Ahmedabad, 2010
Rewarded for his brilliant white-ball exploits with a call-up to the Test squad, Kane Williamson repaid the selectors' faith by scoring a gritty 131 on debut. The right-hander bade his time initially on a typical subcontinental pitch and gradually unleashed his wide repertoire of strokes.
Though he dealt with the pacemen effortlessly, the manner in which Williamson tackled the Indian spinners and grafted his runs was really commendable.
Jofra Archer vs Australia, Lord's, 2019
Jofra Archer might not have dominated the wicket charts or shattered records on his Test debut, but the impact he created was second to none. From rattling Steven Smith flush on the helmet to grabbing headlines by chalking up express pace and bounce with the old ball, Archer hogged all the limelight in his first appearance in the whites.
He finished the first Test with five wickets overall and has continued to terrorize batsmen across the globe since then.
Alastair Cook vs India, Ahmedabad, 2006
Alastair Cook made a fairytale start to his Test career by churning out quality knocks against India. He proved his credentials early, scoring a well-compiled 60 in the first innings. But the half-century didn't quite satiate his hunger. He crafted a valiant 104 in the final innings. Cook hung his boots as the highest run-scorer for England in the longer format.
Michael Clarke vs India, Bengaluru, 2004
Michael Clarke was asked to rebuild Australia's innings after Anil Kumble had wreaked havoc with his googlies. The debutant was understandably a tad fidgety to begin with, but soon discovered his groove and began carting the Indians all over the park.
He became Australia's first debut centurion since Greg Blewett in 1995, received the player of the match award, and went on to become arguably Australia's finest batsman in the years to come.
Virender Sehwag v South Africa, Bloemfontein, 2001
Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock had weaved their magic in helpful conditions, reducing India to 68/4. Enter Virender Sehwag. Coming in at number six, the white-ball maestro blasted a counter-punching hundred, sparing none from Shaun Pollock to Jacques Kallis.
Sehwag would eventually cement his position at the opening slot and transform the way batting in Test cricket was approached over the next decade.
Lawrence Rowe vs New Zealand, Sabina Park, 1972
Lawrence Rowe, who kick-started his career on an emphatic note, unfortunately, became one of cricket's forgotten heroes. The flamboyant right-hander smashed a mind-boggling 214 and 100* on Test debut, with pleasing square cuts and mighty hooks dominating his array of strokes.
With runs flowing from his ominous willow, Rowe was on seventh heaven when tragedy struck. He was found allergic to grass and was forced to stop playing, which meant his career derailed even before taking flight.
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