10 wickets on Test debut (July 2022)

You know the veteran Sanath (ST) Jayasuriya.

You may know the lesser-known ODI player Shehan Jayasurya (whose initials are GSNFG)

Now there is Prabath Jayasuriya, whose name is almost as fearsome (initials NGRP):

https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/prabath-jayasuriya-422871

He took 6 + 6 =12 wickets on his Test debut at Galle in July 2022, bringing an innings victory and 1-1 result for his team.

Here we look at all those who took 10 or more wickets on Test debut:

Prabodh’s 12-177 is the 4th best match haul in all Tests on debut, and the best for Sri Lanka (surpassing P Jayawickrama’s 11-178 in 2021. Remember that Hirwani and Massie are still at the top.

We also look at the best innings figures for Sri Lanka in Tests on debut:

Prabodh’s 6-59 is the best for Sri Lanka on debut, surpassing P Jayawickrama’s 6-92 in 2021.

His 6-118 in the first innings is the third best for Sri Lanka.

Summary of Test matches in 2021: Debutants : Part 6

Here we cover the better performances by those who made their debut in the calendar year 2021.

Batting:

40 or more runs in an innings:

Note the double centuries by KR Mayers and DP Conway. Only 7 players have made a double century on debut.

Mayers and Bonner combined to enable the West Indies to chase down 395 in the last innings:

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/west-indies-in-bdesh-2020-21-1244017/bangladesh-vs-west-indies-1st-test-1244025/full-scorecard

SS Iyer and Abdullah Shafique scored 50+ in both innings.

80 or more runs in a match:

Bowling:

4 or more wickets in an innings:

Headed by SM Boland’s 6-7 at the end of the year. There are others who have made 7wi and 8wi on debut, but this would probably be the most influential bowling performance by a debutant-as it reduced England to 68 all out and secured the Ashes for Australia.

7 or more wickets in a match:

P Jayawickrama took 11 wickets on debut, while Boland had the best figures of those who took 7 wickets.

Fielding:

2 or more dismissals in an innings:

Note AT Carey’s 5 and 3 in the same match.

3 or more dismissals in a match.

AT Carey took 8 dismissals, equalling the record by HB Taber and CMW Read.

However, Carey is the only one to take 8 catches on debut, as the others had 7 catches and a stumping.

Several fielders (including Boland again!) took 3 catches in a match.

All-round performance:

50 runs and 4 wickets in match:

Only one instance, and he has not played for the past few months.

50 and 3 dismissals in match:

Note that Abdullah Shafique made two fifties in the match, besides taking 3 catches.

Ten wickets on Test debut and never again

(Updated on 15 May 2021):

Some achievements on debut are more difficult than others.

As may as 110 centuries have been scored on debut, as well as 169 five-fors. In a few cases the player has scored two centuries or took two fivers in his debut Test.

But only 16 have taken ten wickets in their first Test:

The last entrant is Praveen Jayawickrama of Sri Lanka, who has played only one Test so far.

But the members of this exclusive club have not been fortunate. A quick overview:

We can see that:

Marriott played only one Test. Newcomer Jayawickrama has also played only one so far.

However, a total of 12 of these 16 never took a ten-for after their debut. The only ones who did so were T Richardson (total 4 times), Grimmett (7), Bedser (5) and Valentine (4)

And 7 of the 16 never even took a five-for after their debut.

Perhaps Jayawickrama will be able to overcome these odds.

Also, JK Lever is the only one to take a ten-for along with a fifty on debut. He never made another fifty, although he did add two five-fors to his 7-49 on debut.

While Ken Farnes did add one five-for to the two he took on debut, he died young in a flying accident during WW2.

Incidentally, Jayawickrama’s 11-178 is the best by a left-arm spinner on debut, surpassing the 11-204 by AL Valentine in 1950.

Praveen Jayawickrama’s records

Debutant left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama played a crucial role in Sri Lanka’s Test and series win against Bangladesh, especially as the first Test was played on a batting paradise.

https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/praveen-jayawickrama-1028665

In the second Test he took 6-92 and 5-86, making a total of 11-178.

This was the best by a Sri Lankan bowler on debut in an innings:

Note that his name appears twice here, for his 6-for as well as 5-for.

And the best match figures by a Sri Lankan bowler on debut:

We see that he is the first Sri Lankan bowler to take 10 wickets on debut.

Now let us see about left-arm spinners on debut:

Jayawickrama has the third-best figures here.

A more surprising result is obtained when we see the match bowling figures of this category on debut:

Here, he has the best match figures of debutants in this category, edging out the famous Alf Valentine’s figures in 1950.