Beginner’s Bad Luck: Players who picked up injuries on Test debut
Cricketers wait for long with utmost patience and calmness to don the international cap. Years of hard work and toil finally pay dividends when they get to step up in their debut match. A Test debut becomes even special for players as it is considered the purest form of the game. However, sometimes things don’t go well and players end up getting injured in their very first match.
Let’s take a look at five such players who got injured on their Test debut:
1. Craig Overton – England
A 6ft 5-inch tall pacer, Overton made his Test debut against Australia in the prestigious Ashes series of 2017-18. He impressed everyone well enough with his pace and control and even scalped the significant wicket of Steve Smith. However, things didn’t go all smooth for him as he was hit on his ribs with a Pat Cummins bouncer. Overton was in immediate discomfort but recovered quickly to be in action for the rest of the series.
2. Boyd Rankin – Ireland/England
Rankin plied his trade for Ireland in the initial part of his career but moved to England to pursue Test cricket. He eventually made his Test debut against Australia during the Ashes series of 2014. Rankin suffered a hamstring injury on debut and had to leave the field twice due to the unbearable discomfort. He could bowl only 8.2 overs before the odds surrounded him. Though he returned in the second innings, England lost the match by a margin of 281 runs.
3. Shardul Thakur – India
Thakur also didn’t have a dream debut when he played his maiden Test match against the West Indies in 2018. He got his maiden chance when Mohammed Shami was rested by the team management. Thakur could bowl only 10 deliveries before he suffered a severe groin injury. He had to leave the ground and couldn’t come back to mark his appearance.
4. Imam-ul-Haq – Pakistan
Imam also got injured while he marked his Test debut against Ireland. It was Ireland’s inaugural Test event and Imam got injured on the very first ball of the match. He stood at the non-striker’s end and started running for a single on Azhar Ali’s call. However, while running, he found himself between Niall O’ Brien and Tyrone Kane, which resulted in a collision. He fell on the ground and could only get up after receiving medical attention.
5. Shikhar Dhawan – India
Dhawan had a memorable Test debut against Australia. He played a swashbuckling knock of 187 at Mohali back in 2013. His ton was recorded as the fastest-ever in a Test by a batsman on debut. However, Dhawan’s happiness was short-lived as he went down with an unfortunate hand injury in the second innings and was ruled out the rest of the series.
