5 Scintillating Batting Debuts the Cricketing World Witnessed!

Michael Clarke (AUS) – 151 vs India (Bengaluru, 2004)

The Indian venues have always been a hunting ground for the home team spinners. The fact that India lost only once in a Test series to a visiting side in the last 23 years is enough to prove how difficult the condition is for the visiting sides.

Coming to India in 2004, after three consecutive Test series losses in India, Australia lost their captain Ricky Ponting due to a broken thumb. With Adam Gilchrist helming the captaincy cap, the focus was on Michael Clarke, the young batting star, to make an impression in the absence of Ponting. It was the opening Test match of the series, and Australia elected to bat first in Bengaluru.

Batting against the likes of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, India’s best spinning duo at those times, Clarke displayed a rocking performance. Taking the cue from the solid performances of the top-3 batters – Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, and Simon Katich, Clarke joined hands with the skipper Gilchrist for the 6th wicket, and the duo made sure they took great advantage of the toss. Australia posted a brilliant 1st innings total of 474, which led to the Test win, thereby setting the series for them very early, which they also won. It was the only Test series win for Australia in India since 1969, which shows how crucial that win and that knock of Clarke was.

What stood out in that Clarke innings was how he dominated the world-class spinners in their own den. Coming from a debutant adds more value to that innings. Many Indian fans will remember this innings forever as an unforgettable bitter cricketing moment for them, for the nightmare the innings created.

Clarke went on to captain the post-Ponting Australian side in all three formats, won the ODI World Cup under him in 2015, and scored 15000+ runs in International cricket. Especially in 2012, he enjoyed his best year in Tests, scoring 4 double centuries – a calendar year record.

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