Youngest player to pick fifer in debut Test

Racking up five wickets in a match in any format of the sport is regarded as one of the trickiest works for a bowler. However, if the ‘fifer’ comes from a debutant, it becomes all the more special. In the red-ball format, there have been a few players who have achieved the milestone and made an instant impression. In this piece, we take a look at the top three youngest players to pick five wickets in a Test debut:

3. 18y 235d – Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi made his debut for Pakistan in the third Test against Australia in Karachi in 1998. The leggie racked the vital wickets of Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, and Darren Lehmann among others and became the then youngest player to ever register a fifer during that era at the age of 18 years and 235 days.

2. 18y 193d – Pat Cummins

Pat Cummins surpassed Afridi’s feat as he in 2011 at the age of 18 years and 193 days when he picked a fifer against South Africa in the second Test in Johannesburg against Australia. Cummins ended up with impressive figures of 6/79 and was also adjudged Player of the Match in the contest.

1. 18y 126d – Rehan Ahmed

England’s Rehan made his debut in the recently concluded Test series against Pakistan when he was picked for the third game. At 18 years and 126 days, he surpassed both Pat Cummins and Afridi as he killed the Pakistan batting innings with his majestic fifer. He cleaned up the last two scalps of Mohammad Wasim and Agha Salman to complete his five-wicket haul against the rival side and also became the 53rd England bowler to take a five-wicket haul on Test debut.