5 Scintillating Batting Debuts the Cricketing World Witnessed!

Devon Conway – 200 & 23 vs England (2021, Lord’s)

This more recent innings in the Lord’s helped Devon Conway straight to No. 77 in ICC’s Test batters ranking on his debut Test game. The knock gained him 447 rating points, the highest for a New Zealand batter on debut and the third-highest ever on debut.

The quality of the Conway knock is very much visible even in the first look at the game’s scorecard, as the kiwi opener was a clean stand-out in the NZ’s first innings score of 378. His performance was clearly the difference in the first innings between the sides.

Even though the game ended in a draw courtesy of the rain affecting the mid-days of the match and the mini-marathon innings from Dom Sibley on the final day, Conway’s caliber was apparent throughout his innings as he became the seventh batter in Test history to score a debut double-century. It made him a part of the big NZ future that involves the championship win in the inaugural World Test Championship.

The innings lasted for a total of a whopping 578 minutes that included 22 fours and a six. Conway almost carried his bat at the end before running out quickly after reaching the 200 mark. He also made a patient 23 in the second innings and was adjudged the player of the match on his debut game.

The Conclusion with a bonus inclusion

I couldn’t close this list without mentioning one of India’s greatest debuts in limited-overs cricket. This knock in an important champions trophy game was not the respective player’s debut game but the debut batting innings – the reason why this is a bonus entry.

There is no doubt that Yuvraj Singh was a champion international cricketer who gave everything on the field to get India ahead of the game. The avid game lover has had a brilliant debut in his ODI career, which was the epitome of his character and temperament. He didn’t get to bat in his debut ODI game but walked in to bat for the first time in international cricket in the 1st Quarterfinal against Australia. It was a crucial situation when India lost their top three batters – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and Rahul Dravid under the score of 90. He made a fighting 84 runs, which helped India post a spirited total of 265.

The shots he played that day were unique and powerful against the bowling unit, including Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Shane Lee, and Ian Harvey – made it a clear message that it was not just a normal debut. He even affected a brilliant catch, helping Venkatesh Prasad dismiss Ian Harvey and a spectacular direct hit to run out Michael Bevan. With Yuvi declared the “Man of the Match,” India won that game and ended the tournament’s inaugural edition, which was then upgraded to ICC Champions Trophy, as a runner. Yuvraj Singh scored 8701 ODI runs that, included 17 ODI centuries. The all-rounder was also the best player of the tournament in India’s 2011 World Cup-winning campaign.

Nowadays, with the domestic T20 leagues happening worldwide, where the international cricketers often brush shoulders with the budding cricketers, youngsters have a lot of opportunities and exposure to become pro cricketers even before entering the international level. However, it is not the same in the previous generations, which is why the above-listed debuts are so special. It is also proved by the fact that most players mentioned above became the greats in the formats.

I might have missed some good debuts too, but the ones mentioned above are deserved to be in any greatest debuts list. Post your comment about your favorite debut appearances below!

Also Read: The 5 Extraordinary Comeback Victories in Test Cricket

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