This article will discuss the top bowling performances of cricketers in their career Test debut matches.
We will divide this article into two:
- Best bowling figures in an innings on Test debut
- Best bowling figures in both innings of the debut Test match (combined bowling figure)
Best Bowling Figures (Innings) by a Test Debutant
The best bowling figures in an innings by a Test debutant are presented below:
| SN | BOWLER | BEST BOWLING | VS | INNS | VENUE | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albert Trott (AUS) | 8/43 | England | 2 | Adelaide | 1895 |
| 2 | Robert Massie (AUS) | 8/53 | England | 2 | Lord’s | 1972 |
| 3 | Narendra Hirwani (IND) | 8/61 | West Indies | 1 | Chennai | 1988 |
| 4 | Lance Klusener (SA) | 8/64 | India | 2 | Eden Garden’s | 1996 |
| 5 | Narendra Hirwani (IND) | 8/75 | West Indies | 2 | Chennai | 1988 |
| 6 | Robert Massie (AUS) | 8/84 | England | 1 | Lord’s | 1972 |
| 7 | Alfred Valentine (WI) | 8/104 | England | 1 | Manchester | 1950 |
| 8 | Jason Krezja (AUS) | 8/215 | India | 1 | Nagpur | 2008 |
| 9 | Kyle Abbott (SA) | 7/29 | Pakistan | 1 | Centurion | 2013 |
| 10 | Dominic Cork (ENG) | 7/43 | West Indies | 2 | Lord’s | 1995 |
Key Stats
Albert Trott’s figures of 8/43 recorded in the 19th century is still the best bowling figures by a Test debutant in an innings.
India’s Narendra Hirwani and Australia’s Robert Massie have featured twice in the above list by picking 8 wicket-hauls in both innings of their respective debut Test matches. You can check the scorecard of those games here and here.
Massie’s 8/53 in his 2nd bowling innings is the best away bowling performance by a Test debutant.
Australia’s Jason Krezja’s 8-wicket haul in Nagpur is the only entrant from the 21st century.
Best Bowling Figures (Match) by a Test Debutant
| SN | BATSMAN | BBM | VS | VENUE | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Narendra Hirwani (IND) | 16/136 | West Indies | Chennai | 1988 |
| 2 | Robert Massie (AUS) | 16/137 | England | Lord’s | 1972 |
| 3 | Frederick Martin (ENG) | 12/102 | Australia | The Oval | 1890 |
| 4 | Prabath Jayasuriya (SL) | 12/177 | Australia | Galle | 2022 |
| 5 | Jason Krejza (AUS) | 12/358 | India | Nagpur | 2008 |
| 6 | Clarence Grimmett | 11/82 | England | Sydney | 1925 |
| 7 | Charles Marriott (ENG) | 11/96 | West Indies | The Oval | 1933 |
| 8 | Alf Hall (SA) | 11/112 | England | Cape Town | 1923 |
| 9 | Mohammad Zahid (PAK) | 11/130 | New Zealand | Rawalpindi | 1996 |
| 10 | Alec Bedser (ENG) | 11/145 | India | Lord’s | 1946 |
Key Stats
Picking up 8 wickets in each innings against West Indies in 1988, Narendra Hirwani recorded the best figures in a match by a Test debutant.
Australia’s Robert Massie is second on the list conceding just one more run than Hirwani.
Starting with an impressive 11-wicket haul in the debut Test match, Australia’s Clarence Grimmett went on to be one of the fastest bowlers to pick 150 Test wickets in his short timespan of 37 Tests. He also had this splendid record in the later part of his career.
Yajuvendra Singh (India) holds the record for taking most number of catches by a Test debutant as a fielder. He took 7 catches against England in his debut match in 1977. You can find here a detailed list of catching records in cricket.
