5 famous batsmen who were dismissed off the first ball of a Test match

Being dismissed off the first delivery of a Test match can be a crushing blow for the batsmen in question but also to the team. After all, the task of the opener to bat out the opening burst from the opposition bowlers and such an event exposes the top order quite early. Needless to say, it is a rare occurrence and has happened only 31 times in the history of the game.

Many would perhaps think that the opening batsmen who were dismissed off the first delivery of the game must have been poor or mediocre openers but many of the players involved were excellent players and some of them are included among the greats of the game. Here is a look at 5 of the most famous batsmen to have ‘accomplished’ this feat.

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#5 Herbert Sutcliffe

He is among the greatest opening batsmen to have ever played the game and for 11 years from 1924 to 1935, Englishman Herbert Sutcliffe reigned as the world’s premier opening batsman. His technique, temperament, the range of strokes and immense powers of concentration made him the batsman that he became.

An average of 60.73 in 54 Test matches is ample proof of his greatness. However, back in 1933, New Zealand’s right arm fast bowler Ted Badcock achieved the unthinkable when he had Sutcliffe caught behind off the very first ball of the 1st Test match at Christchurch. It did not matter much as England went on to score 560 and the match eventually ended in a draw, but Sutcliffe’s dismissal remains the talking point from that game.

#4 Gary Kirsten

Gary Kirsten

Before he became a successful cricket coach, former South African batsman Gary Kirsten was one of the finest opening batsmen in the game. The left-hander had an excellent defensive technique, a lot of patience and the ability to bat long. He did not give his wicket away too easily that often but back in 1999, West Indian great Curtly Ambrose got the better of him off the very first delivery of the 4th Test match at Cape Town.

The South Africans had elected to bat first but they lost their opener right at the start to be reduced to 0 for 1. The hosts eventually went on to win the Test match by 149 runs and West Indies ended up losing the series 5-0. However, Kirsten’s first ball duck is something that still seems incredible.

#3 Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya

The Sri Lankan great opened the innings for his country with distinction in both Test matches and in limited overs cricket for many years. Sanath Jayasuriya was not the classical Test opening batsman and was vastly dependent on his excellent eyesight and fast hands. Despite that, he went on to become one of his country’s leading batsmen.

However, he was prone to edging it behind the stumps due to his preference for the horizontal bat shots and back in 1999, Australian great Glenn McGrath exploited it on the very first delivery of the Test match at Galle. Sri Lanka chose to bat first but even before the team had settled down in the dressing room, Jayasuriya was walking back after edging the first delivery of the match to Mark Waugh at slip.

#2 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle

The Jamaican might have become famous over the past few years as an extraordinary power hitter in limited overs cricket but when he did play Test cricket, Chris Gayle was a fine opener and in fact has a triple century to his name. Hence, it is surprising for someone like Gayle to be dismissed off the first ball of a Test match. It happened back in 2010 in the 3rd Test of the series in Sri Lanka at Pallekele.

After the 1st two Tests had been drawn, there was tremendous interest in the 3rd and final game. The very first ball of the game must have been a huge boost for the hosts as Suranga Lakmal trapped Gayle leg before off the first ball. West Indies did manage to recover but steady rains meant that the game ended in a draw.

#1 Sunil Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar

He is among the greatest opening batsmen to have played Test cricket and in a career spanning 16 years (1971 to 1987), Sunil Gavaskar took batting excellence to a new level. However, something that would always be a part of his records is that fact that he was dismissed off the first ball of a Test match as many as three times. It is the highest in the history of the game and it is unlikely that any batsman is going to break that particular record anytime soon.

The first time that Gavaskar was dismissed off the first ball was back in 1974 against England at Birmingham. It was a forgettable series for India as they lost the series 3-0 and in the 2nd Test, Geoff Arnold had him caught behind off the first ball. England went on to win the game by an innings and 78 runs. The 2nd time it happened was in 1983 against the mighty West Indies at the Eden Gardens. 100,000 spectators at the ground were silenced after the first delivery of the match when Malcolm Marshall got him caught behind the 1st ball. The West Indies won the game by an innings and 46 runs.

The third and last time that it happened was in 1987 when Pakistan great Imran Khan had Gavaskar caught off the first ball during the 3rd Test at Jaipur. That game, thankfully, ended in a draw.