How many players have made their Test debut in the India vs England 2024 series?

The ongoing India vs England Test series has been a tightly contested one, but the 3-1 scoreline in India’s favor after four games might tell a different story. A few big names, though, have been missing from both sides due to injury and unavailability issues.

Both Virat Kohli and Harry Brook have given the entire series a miss due to personal reasons. Also, Jack Leach and KL Rahu featured in only the first Test of the series.

While Leach was ruled out of the series after the Hyderabad Test due to a knee injury, Rahul complained of pain in his right quadriceps after the same Test and hasn’t recovered since then. Even all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja missed the second Test due to a hamstring issue.

Due to the absence of big names, many players have been handed Test debuts in the ongoing series. India have given debut caps to five players, something they also did during their 2020-21 tour Down Under.

A total of seven players have debuted in the India-England series, with at least one making a debut in each of the five Tests. Take a look.

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1st Test in Hyderabad - Tom Hartley

Tom Hartley has made a big impact in his debut series.

England’s 24-year-old left-arm spinner Tom Hartley made his debut in the first Test of the series in Hyderabad.

The Lancashire bowler struggled in the first innings, getting taken to the cleaners by Yashasvi Jaiswal. However, he made a spectacular comeback in the second innings, claiming 7-62 to bowl England to a famous win, as India were knocked over for 202 after being set a target of 231.

Hartley has chipped in with wickets in the other games as well. He claimed a four-fer in the Visakhapatnam and also contributed with the bat, producing defiant 20s and 30s in the lower order.

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2nd Test in Visakhapatnam - Shoaib Bashir, Rajat Patidar

Rajat Patidar (left) and Shoaib Bashir

England’s young off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and India’s middle order batter Rajat Patidar made their debuts in the second Test in Visakhapatnam.

The 20-year-old Somerset off-spinner picked up 3-138 in the first innings and 1-58 in the second. After missing the Rajkot Test, the youngster responded with a brilliant performance in the fourth Test in Ranchi. He claimed his maiden five-fer in the first innings and followed up with three wickets in the second.

Speaking of Patidar, he scored a valiant 32 in the first innings in Visakhapatnam before being bowled in unlucky fashion. In his next five innings, he registered scores of 9, 5, 0, 17 and 0.

He was set to be retained for the final Test in Dharamsala but was ruled out after getting injured during practice.

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3rd Test in Rajkot - Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan

Dhruv Jurel has made an excellent start to his international career.

India handed Test debuts to Dhruv Jurel and Sarfaraz Khan in the third Test of the five-match series in Rajkot. Both players have made a huge impact in their debut Test series.

Sarfaraz smashed half-centuries in both innings in Rajkot. He hammered 62 off 66 in the first innings but was run out after a mix-up with Ravindra Jadeja. In the second innings, he smacked an unbeaten 68 off 72.

After a poor Test in Ranchi, Sarfaraz registered his third half-century in the first innings in Dharamsala. He scored an impressive 56 off 60, hitting eight fours and a six. The 26-year-old was looking good for another big score when he was caught at slip off Bashir.

Jurel contributed a defiant 46 off 104 in his debut Test innings. He was then adjudged Player of the Match for his stupendous batting performance in the Ranchi Test. The 23-year-old lifted India out of trouble in both innings, with mature knocks of 90 and 39*.

India had crumbled to 177-7 in the first innings, responding to England’s 353. In the second essay, they were 120-5 in a chase of 192 before Jurel and Shubman Gill (52*) guided the team home.

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4th Test in Ranchi - Akash Deep

Akash Deep celebrates the wicket of Zak Crawley in Ranchi.

With Jasprit Bumrah being rested, India handed a Test debut to Bengal pacer Akash Deep in the fourth Test in Ranchi.

Akash Deep had an inauspicious start as he got a wicket off a no ball. However, he turned things around in incredible fashion, claiming three big wickets in the first session on Day 1.

After England haad won the toss and opted to bat first, the debutant right-arm pacer had Ben Duckett (11) caught behind, trapped Ollie Pope (0) leg before before knocking over Zak Crawley (42) with a stunner.

He went wicketless for the rest of the game as spinners dominated proceedings. Akash Deep made way for Bumrah in the fifth Test in Dharamsala.

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5th Test in Dharmasala - Devdutt Padikkal

Devdutt Padikkal batting on Day 2 in Dharamsala.

With Patidar picking up an ankle injury during a practice session ahead of the fifth Test, India gave a debut cap to in-form Karnataka batter Devdutt Padikkal in Dharamsala.

Coming into bat at No. 4, the left-hander grabbed his opportunity scoring a fluent 65 off 103.

Padikkal and Sarfaraz added 97 for the fourth wicket before the latter fell on the first ball of the last session on Day 2 of the Dharamsala Test.

It needed a piece of brilliant from Bashir to end Padikkal’s debut Test innings. The Indian batter was stuck on the back foot as Bashir got one to turn past his outside edge and knock back the off stump.