In the last post https://abn397.wordpress.com/2016/01/02/most-runs-in-tests-in-first-calendar-year/ we saw that only three Test players have scored over 1000 runs in the calendar year of their debut (which is not the same as the first 365 days after debut).
Here we do the same study for the landmark of 50 wickets. Only one Test player has achieved this in the calendar year of his debut, and he is reasonably well-known but not considered one of the top bowlers of his country. Below we have a list of all those who took 40+ wickets in the calendar year of their debut.
To achieve this is primarily a matter of luck, as it is useful to make your debut in the earlier part of the year. However, some of them started off in the English season or as late as September when their country had a large number of Tests in the latter part of the year (such as India in 1979).
TM Alderman (Aus) 54 1981
CEL Ambrose (WI) 49 1988
JJ Bumrah (Ind) 48 2018
ST Finn (Eng) 46 2010
R Tattersall (Eng) 44 1951
JV Saunders (Aus) 42 1902
DG Cork (Eng) 42 1995
SR Clark (Aus) 42 2006
DR Doshi (Ind) 40 1979
MS Panesar (Eng) 40 2006
As you may guess, this table is derived from getting a list of wicket-takers in a calendar year from Statsguru and then checking the date of their Test debuts. It is just possible that I may have missed someone.
Note that both Clark and Panesar achieved this in 2006. In the same year AN Cook became the second to make over 1000 runs in his first calendar year.
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