4 Indian players who won Man of the Series award in their debut series

A Test cap is a long cherished dream for every cricketer, as it is the culmination of his sheer determination and consistency at the domestic circuit. Even with the growth in the magnitude of limited overs formats, Test cricket continues to appeal and attract, serving as the ultimate test of a player's endurance and athleticism.

There is a lot of pressure on an athlete to kick off his red ball career successfully, to carve a niche in the fraternity and secure his spot in the team. In the words of Virat Kohli, "You just can't explain the satisfaction you get by doing well in Test cricket." And the contentment knows no bounds if you bag the Man of the Series honours in your debut outing.

We present the cases of four Indian players who exhibited great class and consistency in their debut series to end up with apex honours at the end of the tour:

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#4 Sourav Ganguly

The Prince of Kolkata made his debut against England in the second Test at Lord's. Trailing 0-1 in the series, India not off to the best of the starts as they lost both the openers quickly and talisman Sachin Tendulkar and captain Mohammad Azharuddin inside another 100 runs. However, it was debutant Ganguly who exhibited steely nerves and remained rock solid on one end. He stitched partnerships with fellow batsmen and ensured that he registered his name on the prestigious Lords Honours board in his first outing in whites notching a glamourous hundred. He combined with fellow debutant and future deputy Rahul Dravid for a crucial 94-run stand for the seventh wicket as the duo enabled India to get an 85-run lead. The match ended in a draw, as English batsmen toiled over 120 overs to save the match.

Ganguly showcased his exuberance in the third Test as well, once again steering the team out of a precarious situation with an impressive hundred, posting a giant 255 run stand with for the 3rd wicket Sachin Tendulkar.

This time round, the southpaw had his share in wickets as well, as he claimed 3 scalps. Ganguly made a contribution of another 48 runs in the second innings, and was awarded the Man of the Match in the game for his all round exploits. He bagged the Man of the Series honours for his maginificent outings at the Lord's and Nottingham.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin, the elegant all-rounder from Tamil Nadu burst into the Test squad on the back of impressive performances in the limited overs circuit. He was handed his debut cap in the first Test of against the West Indies in 2011 at the Feroz Shah Kotla at New Delhi. Ashwin made a mark in the first match itself, as he picked up 9 wickets, with his 6 wicket haul in the second innings helping India to script a comeback in the match. Though he could not open his account with the willow, his exploits with the cherry were enough to earn him the Man of the Match honours on debut.

Ashwin claimed 2 wickets apiece of the Caribbean innings in his next outing at the Eden Gardens.

He maintained his consistent run in the third game as well, this time stepping up with the bat as well, with a heroic hundred coupled by 9, wickets at Wankhede, Mumbai. He was adjudged the Man of the Match and the Man of the Series for 22 wickets and a hundred in 3 games, helping India to win the series 2-0

#2 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma was handed his debut cap by his idol Sachin Tendulkar, in the series against West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

West Indies were bowled out for 234 by the Indian pacers. It seemed that India would cruise through the proceedings of the game, but their progress was checked by the Caribbean bowlers, with half the side in the pavilion at 85 runs. India lost skipper MS Dhoni soon after, Rohit took the task in his own hands, as he notched a 280-run stand for the seventh wicket. He amassed a giant 177, with 98 of those runs coming in boundaries. Rohit enabled India to race to a lead of 219 runs, as India won the game by an innings and 51 runs.

Sharma continued his good form in the second game, playing his first match at his home ground the Wankhede. This time round, he walked in when the stage was perfectly set for him and made the most of the circumstances as he feasted upon the Caribbean bowling attack, staying unbeaten on 111.

He potentially batted Windies out of the game, as they lost total control of the game, losing by an innings and 126 runs.

#1 Prithvi Shaw

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The immensely talented teenage prodigy made his much-awaited Test debut in the first game of the two-match series against Windies at Rajkot. What followed was the 'Prithvi Show' as the U19 skipper became a household name overnight, bamboozling the Caribbean attack for boundaries all round the park. He demonstrated a temperament par excellence for his age, as he became the youngest Indian to smash a century on debut. Shaw deservedly won the Man of the Match on debut as Team India recorded their biggest Test win, by an innings and 272 runs.

Shaw continued his audacious display in the second game as he gave a flying start to the hosts with a brisk 70. He ensured that he took his team past the finishing line, hitting a beautiful boundary through the covers. He was awarded the Man of the Series for his aggressive exploits with the willow.