Making debut for India in test cricket is one of the most memorable moments for a player of his career. Every cricketer dreams of such a mesmerizing moment where he gets the debut cap from one of his senior players or coaches.
A number of players have made debut at young age but not all of them had a successful career. Some went unknown while other registered their names in history books. Let’s take a look at some players who made debut in test cricket at young age.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar made his debut for the Indian cricket team in Test matches on November 15, 1989, against Pakistan in Karachi. At that time, he was just 16 years and 205 days old, making him the youngest debutant in Test cricket for India.
Sachin Tendulkar had a remarkable international career that spanned from 1989 to 2013. He played a total of 200 Test matches, scoring 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78, including 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries. Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs and centuries in Test cricket.
Piyush Chawla
In Test cricket, Piyush Chawla made his debut on March 9, 2006, against England in Mohali, India, at the age of 17 years and 75 days, becoming the second-youngest player to represent India in Test matches.
Chawla’s international career for India spanned from 2006 to 2012. He played a total of 3 Test matches, taking 7 wickets at an average of 54.71. In ODIs, he featured in 25 matches, picking up 32 wickets at an average of 37.37. Additionally, he also played 7 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and claimed 8 wickets at an average of 25.87.
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan
Laxman Sivaramakrishnan made his Test debut for India on December 24, 1983, against the West Indies in Ahmedabad, India. At that time, he was 17 years and 118 days old, making him one of the youngest players to debut for India in Test matches.
Sivaramakrishnan had a brief international career for India, playing a total of 9 Test matches from 1983 to 1986. He was a leg-spinner known for his variations and had a promising start to his career, taking 26 wickets at an average of 30.73.
Parthiv Patel
Parthiv Patel made his debut for the Indian cricket team in Test matches on August 8, 2002, against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. At that time, he was 17 years and 153 days old, making him the youngest wicketkeeper to make his Test debut for India.
Parthiv Patel had an international career for India that spanned from 2002 to 2018. He played a total of 25 Test matches, scoring 934 runs at an average of 31.13, including 6 half-centuries. He also represented India in 38 One Day Internationals (ODIs), accumulating 736 runs at an average of 23.74, with 4 fifties to his name.
Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh made his debut for the Indian cricket team in Test matches on March 25, 1998, against Australia in Bangalore, India. At that time, he was 17 years and 217 days old, making him the youngest Indian to debut in Test cricket.
Harbhajan Singh had a prolific international career for India that spanned from 1998 to 2015. He played a total of 103 Test matches, taking 417 wickets at an average of 32.46. Harbhajan is regarded as one of India’s finest off-spinners and is the third-highest wicket-taker for India in Test matches.
Harbhajan Singh’s illustrious test career also included numerous memorable performances, including the famous “hat-trick” against Australia in 2001.
Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma made his debut for the Indian cricket team in Test matches on May 25, 2007, against Bangladesh in Dhaka. At that time, he was 18 years and 304 days old, making him the fourth-youngest player to debut in Test cricket for India.
Ishant Sharma’s international career for India has been extensive and spans from 2007 to the present day. He has played a total of 101 Test matches, taking 311 wickets at an average of 32.39.
Throughout his career, Ishant Sharma has had notable performances, including his seven-wicket haul against England at Lord’s in 2014, where he played a crucial role in India’s victory.
He has been a key part of the Indian pace attack and has been involved in several historic series wins, including India’s first-ever Test series win in Australia in 2018-2019.
Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri made his debut for the Indian cricket team in Test matches on November 21, 1981, against New Zealand in Wellington. At that time, he was 19 years and 146 days old.
Ravi Shastri had a successful international career for India that spanned from 1981 to 1992. He played a total of 80 Test matches, scoring 3,830 runs at an average of 35.79.
Shastri was a versatile all-rounder who excelled as a left-handed middle-order batsman and a right-arm off-spinner. He also took 151 wickets in Test cricket at an average of 40.96.
Some of these players went on to create historical feats while others didn’t play consistently for team India. However, they continued to be involved in the game by joining IPL where they attained success for their respective franchises.
