A perfect beginning – Five highest individual scores on Test debut
Every budding cricketer dreams of getting to represent his country at the highest level and produce a sensational innings straight away. But only a few of them have been successful at doing it so. In the 143-year history of men’s Test cricket, only five players have managed to score double centuries in their debut match. Australia’s Michelle Goszko scored 204 in a Women’s Test against England in 2001 which till date remains the only double ton on Test debut in Women’s cricket.
Here we look at the highest individual scores on debut in Men’s Test cricket:
5. Brendon Kuruppu – 201*:
Sri Lanka’s Brendon Kuruppu scored an unbeaten 201 during his debut match in Test cricket. Kuruppu spent 777 minutes for this knock where he faced as many as 548 deliveries. He nearly carried the bat for the Lankans but their captain declared at the score of 397/9.
Kuruppu’s knock was also the first-ever double century recorded for Sri Lanka in Test cricket. He was also the wicketkeeper for the Lankans in that game. Till date, he is the only wicketkeeper to smash a double century on Test debut.
4. Mathew Sinclair – 214:
New Zealand’s Mathew Sinclair made a stunning start to his Test career smashing 214 in his very first outing with the bat. Sinclair batted at No.3 on his debut during the 1999 Wellington Test against West Indies.
The double ton helped New Zealand to get past the 500-run mark and win the Test by an inning margin. Sinclair had a forgettable start to his ODI career as he was dismissed on the very first ball of New Zealand’s innings during his ODI debut a year later.
3. Lawrence Rowe – 214:
The score of ‘214’ was achieved twice by players on debut in Test cricket. In 1972, almost 27 years before Sinclair’s knock, the West Indian batsman Lawrence Rowe scored 214 in his maiden Test innings against New Zealand.
Batting at No.3, Rowe scored 214 from 427 minutes with help of 19 fours and a six. Lawrence’s dream Test debut continued as he ended up scoring exactly 100 runs in the second essay. Rowe was the first player to score twin tons on Test debut, a feat that was replicated by Yasir Hameed.
2. Jacques Rudolph – 222*:
Jacques Rudolph is the last player in Test cricket to score a double ton on Test debut. The South African smashed an unbeaten 222 against Bangladesh in the 2003 Chattogram Test match. After the early dismissals of the openers, Rudolph scored 222 from 383 balls with 29 fours and two sixes. He shared an unbeaten 429-run partnership with Boeta Dippenaar. Rudolph’s knock played a key role in South Africa’s innings victory during this match.
1. Tip Foster – 287:
On his Test debut back in 1903, England’s Tip Foster smashed 287 against the hosts Australia at the SCG. Foster’s knock is 65 runs more than the player with the second-highest score on his Test debut. Foster’s 287 was the first individual score of 250+ in Test cricket and stood as the highest individual Test score until 1930. However, the 287-run knock contributes to nearly 48% of Foster’s Test career runs as he scored only 315 runs in the next seven Tests without any score of 50+.
