5 Indian Players With The Best Batting Aggregates On Test Debut

One should not argue the fact that Cricket has evolved a lot over the last two decades. The evolution of T20 cricket has made Test Cricket less exciting for the fans than it used to be. However, for cricketers, playing Test Cricket is still regarded as the biggest achievement in their cricketing career.

Making a T20 debut is far easier than getting into the Test side. It requires a higher skill-set for a player to get into the Test team. Shreyas Iyer recently made his Test debut in the ongoing first Test between India and New Zealand.

It was one of the biggest achievements in his career and he made the most of it. Shreyas has made a sensational start to his Test Cricket Career. He scored a century in the very first innings, followed by a half-century in the second innings. Over the years, the fans have witnessed several fairytale starts for Indian cricketers in Test Cricket. In this article, we will be talking about five such players who made exceptional starts in Test Cricket.

5 Indian Players With The Best Batting Aggregates On Test Debut

1. Shikhar Dhawan: 187 runs 

After grinding in domestic cricket for years, Shikhar Dhawan finally got the chance to make his debut in Test Cricket in the third Test against Australia in 2013. After Australia posted 408 runs in the first innings, Shikhar Dhawan walked out to bat to open the innings alongside Murali Vijay.

The duo went on to stitch a massive 289-run partnership for the opening wicket. Playing his very first innings of his Test Cricket Career, Shikhar Dhawan played a sensational knock of 187 runs off 317 balls, including 33 fours and 2 sixes. He didn’t get the chance to bat in the second innings.

Shikhar Dhawan played 34 Tests in his International cricket career, scoring 2315 runs at an average of 40.6.

2. Rohit Sharma: 177 runs 

India’s current T20 skipper, Rohit Sharma made his Test debut quite late in his career. However, he ensured he made the most of it. Rohit played his first Test match against West Indies in 2013. He played at number six in the batting order. After West Indies got bowled out for 234 runs in the first innings, India too didn’t make a great start in the second innings.

The Men in Blue lost five wickets for 83 runs and needed a good partnership to get themselves back in the game. Rohit Sharma then stitched valuable partnerships with MS Dhoni and Ravi Ashwin to lead a fantastic recovery.

Playing his very first innings of his Test Cricket Career, Rohit Sharma scored 177 runs off 301 balls. India didn’t have to bat again in the Test as they won the game by an innings and 51 runs.

3. Shreyas Iyer: 170 runs 

Shreyas Iyer recently made his Test Cricket debut in the ongoing first Test between India and New Zealand. Iyer showed why he deservs a permanent place in India’s Test Team. Shreyas Iyer was the standout batsman for the team in both innings. He scored a sensational century in his very first innings of his Test Cricket career.

Iyer scored 105 runs off 171 balls, including 13 fours and 2 sixes. The second innings saw Shreyas Iyer, scoring another valuable half-century. India had lost five wickets for just 51 runs in the second innings but Shreyas Iyer held firm and stitched invaluable partnerships with Ravi Ashwin and W Saha. Shreyas Iyer got out after scoring 65 runs off 25 balls.

4. Lala Amarnath: 156 runs 

Indian cricketer, Lala Amarnath was the first Indian cricketer who scored a century in his debut Test. Lala Amarnath played his first Test against England in Mumbai during England’s tour of India in 1933. He scored a valuable 38-run knock in his first innings but didn’t make a big score. However, he made sure he converted the start into a century in his next innings.

Lala Amarnath scored 118 runs in India’s second innings, a knock that was laced with 21 fours. In his international cricket, he played 24 Tests and scored 878 runs at an average of 24.4.

5. Gundappa Vishwanath: 137 runs 

Former Indian cricketer Gundappa Vishwanath made his Test Cricket debut against Australia in the second Test in Kanpur in 1969. He made a forgettable outing in his first innings as he got out for a duck.

However, Gundappa Vishwanath showed his class in his second innings. He scored 137 runs and helped the team score 312 runs. The match eventually resulted in a draw.

He went on to play 91 Tests for India, scoring 6080 runs at an average of 41.9. He scored 14 centuries in his Test cricket career.