Debuting for the nation in test cricket is the biggest achievement for a cricketer and for a bowler it is the ultimate dream come true moment. And then on top of it to make an instant impact with the ball is even more satisfying and helping the team win your first match as a player is a feeling that cannot be explained in words.
There are a few Bowlers who have made such am impact with such amazing performances that the whole world takes notice. Let’s look at the Top 5 best bowling performances on Test Debut.
1. Narender Hirwani (16/136):
This legendary bowler from India made his test debut against the mighty West Indies side of the 1980s and had an unbelievable match where he picked 8 wickets in each innings of the test match. He completely decimated West Indies single handedly in that match. His overall match figures were 16/136 which is a world record to this date. He could never repeat the same magic but this record has his name in the history books forever. The West Indies batters had no clue how to play him in that match. It was one of the best bowling performances ever.
2. Bob Massie (16/137):
Another Australian bowler getting unbelievable debut bowling figures and the opposition is the same in England as well. Bob Massie in that innings was on a rampage and he bamboozled the English batters and they had no idea how to play him. He picked 8 wickets for just 53 runs and made an immediate impact and as a result Two Australia bowlers are at the top of this record book. England was the favorite opposition for Australia bowlers and it can be seen why that is the case. In the first innings of the match he picked up 8 Wickets for 84 runs and held this record for many years . One of the all time great bowling performances of all time.
3. Fred Martin (12/102):
This bowling performance by Fred Martin against Australia is the best English bowling performance on Test Debut and the record is still there after almost 130 years showing how great of a spell that was. He completely outfoxed Australia in that match and showed his class and skills in full effect. England has produced great bowlers since then but no debutant could match his bowling figures. Looks like England and Australia have a knack for performing in debuts against each other.
4. Jason Krejza (12/358):
This bowling performance by this Australia spinner came against India in 2008 and he made an immediate impact in his first match against a very strong Indian team and the number of runs he gave to pick those 12 wickets show that. He played for a few years for Australia and made significant contributions to many test wins and that bowling performance mage a lot of people take notice of him.
5. Claire Grimmett (11/82):
This outstanding bowling performance by the Australian bowler against England is one of the best on debut considering the few number of runs he gave to pick those 11 wickets. He single handedly destroyed England in that match in 1925 and if he had picked a few more wickets that match he would be higher in this record tally. It was a bowling effort which made the world take notice of his extraordinary talent.
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