5 Players who won the Man of the match on Test debut against India 

2nd Sunfoil Test: South Africa v India, Day 2
South Africa wrapped up the Test series against India with a match to play.

For a cricketer playing his first international game, the aim is to earn the praise of his teammates and the respect of the opposition for his skills. A debut is the most memorable when the player is officially recognized for his efforts.

In the history of Test cricket, 42 players have received the Man-of-the-Match award in their first Test. Kepler Wessels was the first player to achieve this rare achievement way back in 1982.

India has the reputation of struggling against the players who are in the starting phase of their international career. Players like Steve Smith, Ajanta Mendis, Mustafizur Rahman etc. have shone brightly against the Indian cricket team.

Let us look at the players who won the man of the match award in their debut Test against India.

Stephen Fleming (New Zealand, 1994)

Stephen Fleming Announces His Retirement
Stephen Fleming is the highest scorer of Test runs for New Zealand.

Former New Zealand skipper, Stephen Fleming made his Test debut against India in the only Test of India's tour of New Zealand 1993-94. Nine days prior to his 21st birthday, he became the 188th player to represent the Kiwis in Test cricket.

Marred by rain and bad light, the lone positive of the drawn test match for the Kiwis was the memorable debut of Fleming. The left-handed batsman scored 108 runs in the match and took the hosts to safety.

On a difficult fourth-day pitch showing uneven pace and bounce, Fleming struck 12 fours and frustrated the visitors for almost three hours, en route his impressive knock of 92.

Franklyn Rose (West Indies, 1997)

Franklyn Rose, Nick Knight
Franklyn Rose was ecstatic after getting his maiden wicket.

Controversial West Indies pace bowler, Franklyn Rose played his first test match against India in the opening Test of India's tour of West Indies 1996/97.

In his very first attempt, Rose ran through the strong Indian batting line-up and took six wickets. On a typical slow pitch of Sabina Park, Kingston, the fast bowler particularly troubled the batsman with his trademark full-length out swinging delivery.

In a somewhat short international career of three years, the Jamaican hugely disappointed with his bowling performances. He could only take one more five-for after the heroics of debut Test and dropped for good in 2000.

Michael Clarke (Australia, 2004)

First Test - India v Australia: Day 2
Michael Clarke received the applause from the opposition after an impressive debut hundred.

Michael Clarke's century in his debut Test led Australia to a 217-run win against India at Bengaluru in the opening Test of Australia's tour of India 2004/05.

389th Australian Test cricketer, Clarke spent close to six hours at the crease in his first Test innings. In his debut knock of 151, he struck 18 fours and four massive sixes. He was particularly harsh on Anil Kumble and scored at will against him.

The ability to pick the length early and using his feet against the spinners to get to the pitch of the ball were the highlights of his debut knock. Interestingly, Clarke made his first-class debut against the same opposition for New South Wales.

Jason Krejza (Australia, 2008)

4th Test - Australia v India: Day 2
Jason Krejza's Test career spanned a mere 41 days.

Even Jason 'Krazy' Krejza would not have believed if he was told that a cricketer, who played only two test matches in his entire career, was the man of the match in his debut Test.

Against India, In the final Test of Border-Gavaskar series, Jason earned his maiden Test cap. The right-arm off-break bowler took eight wickets but gave 215 runs in the first innings. The spinner took 12 wickets in the match but it came at a huge price as he gave away 358 runs.

The Australian bowler played his second and final Test against South Africa in which he took the lone wicket of Hashim Amla and leaked too many runs.

Lungi Ngidi (South Africa, 2018)

2nd Sunfoil Test: South Africa v India, Day 4
Lungi Ngidi contributed with seven wickets in South Africa's win in the second Test.

Due to an unfortunate injury to South-African Test specialist Dale Steyn, Ngidi earned his Test cap in the second match of Freedom Trophy Test Series between India and South-Africa.

On his home ground, the fast bowler ran through the Indian batting lineup and returned with the match figures of 7/87. On a sub-continent type pitch showing variable bounce, the tall bowler created havoc and took six crucial Indian wickets while giving away only 39 runs.

The imposing bowler has a penchant to shine in his debut match. He won his first Man of the Match award on his T20 debut against Sri Lanka on 20 January 2017.

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

Quick Links

Edited by Michael Dsouza