5 Legendary Batsmen Who Recorded Duck On Their Test Debut

Aug 24, 2020 at 11:21 AM

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5 Legendary Batsmen Who Recorded Duck On Their Test Debut

Test cricket is the oldest form of international cricket which has brought a lot of legendary cricketers in more than 140 years. Many of these legendary cricketers experienced the successful journey in the game for a long time of their Test career.

Some legendary cricketers didn’t record a good start in the Test career, but later they showed their true class in this longer format and gradually evolved as a legend.

Here we are talking about the top five legendary batsmen who recorded a duck on their Test debut.

Marvan Atapattu (Sri Lanka)

Marvan Atapattu, legendary, Test debut, duck, Legendary Batsmen Who Scored Duck On Their Test Debut
Marvan Atapattu (Image Credit: Getty Images)

Former Sri Lankan captain Marvan Atapattu had a disastrous start in his international career. The right-handed batsman made his Test debut during the 1990 Chandigarh Test against the hosts India, where he scored ducks in both the innings. In fact, he even failed to reach the 20-run mark in his first 15 international innings (13 matches). Meanwhile, Atapattu also failed to reach the 30-run mark in his first 17 Test innings (nine Test matches), where he scored six ducks.

However, while he started to impress with his batting in ODI cricket in late 1996, Atapattu registered his first Test century in 18th Test innings in late 1997 (during Mohali Test). Since then, he gradually improved his batting performances and secured his place in the national team.

In the 1997/98 season, Atapattu scored 695 Test runs with an average of 63.18, which was the second most Test runs for a Sri Lankan batsman in a Test season at that time.

Atapattu played Test cricket till November 2007. At the end of his career, he scored 5502 runs in 90 Tests (156 innings) with an average of 39.02. During his Test career, Atapattu hit 16 centuries and 17 half-centuries, including six double-centuries. His best knock in a Test innings was 249 runs against Zimbabwe in 2004 Bulawayo Test.

Saeed Anwar (Pakistan)

Saeed Anwar, legendary, Test debut, duck, Legendary Batsmen Who Scored Duck On Their Test Debut
Saeed Anwar (Image Credit: AFP)

Legendary Pakistan cricketer Saeed Anwar made his Test debut in November 1990 during the Faisalabad Test, where the left-handed opening batsman scored the ducks in both the innings. He got his next Test opportunity in February 1994, after settling his ODI career, and scored his first Test century in his fifth innings. Since then, the left-handed opening batsman became very consistent with his bat.

Anwar continued his Test career till August 2001. He played 55 Tests (91 innings) where he scored 4052 runs with an average of 45.52. During his Test career, Anwar hit 11 centuries and 25 half-centuries.

Sir Richie Richardson (West Indies)

Sir Richie Richardson, legendary, Test debut, duck, Legendary Batsmen Who Scored Duck On Their Test Debut
Sir Richie Richardson (Image Credit: Twitter)

The legendary West Indies cricketer Sir Richie Richardson made his Test debut in November 1983 during the Mumbai Test against the hosts India. While he scored a duck on his debutant Test innings, the right-handed batsman scored 26 runs in his next innings in that Test match.

In his fifth Test innings, Richardson registered his maiden Test century. The right-handed batsman continued his Test career till August 1995, where he scored 5949 runs in 86 Tests (146 matches) with an average of 44.39. He hit 16 centuries and 27 half-centuries in his 12-year-long Test career.

Graham Gooch (England)

Graham Gooch, legendary, Test debut, duck, Legendary Batsmen Who Scored Duck On Their Test Debut
Graham Gooch (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images)

Legendary England cricketer Graham Gooch also had a forgetful start in his Test career as the right-handed batsman scored two ducks on his Test debut against Australia at Birmingham in 1975 July. While Gooch scored his first Test fifty in the fifth innings, during his Test comeback in June 1978, he scored his first Test century in his 36th Test innings in 1980 home summer.

With the time progress, Gooch improved his batting quality and maintained his impressive batting performances for a long time. In July 1990, during the Lord’s Test against India, the opening batsman Gooch hit a triple-century as the right-handed batsman scored 333 runs in 485 balls after batting for 628 minutes (43 fours and 3 sixes).

Gooch continued his Test career till February 1995. During his Test career, Gooch scored 8900 runs in 118 matches (215 innings) with an average of 42.58. He hit 20 centuries and 46 half-centuries in his entire Test career.

Sir Leonard Hutton (England)

Sir Leonard Hutton, legendary, Test debut, duck, Legendary Batsmen Who Scored Duck On Their Test Debut
Sir Leonard Hutton (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Another England legendary cricketer Sir Leonard Hutton, also known as Sir Len Hutton, had also a poor start in his Test career. While he made his Test debut during the 1937 Lord’s Test against New Zealand, the right-handed batsman Hutton scored 0 and one run in that match.

However, Hutton scored his maiden Test century in his very next Test innings. During his sixth Test, while the opening batsman Hutton batted in his ninth Test innings, he scored 364 runs in 847 balls (797 minutes) with the help of 35 fours.

While Hutton played his Test career till March 1955, he scored 6971 runs in 79 Test matches (138 innings) with an average 56.67. The right-handed batsman hit 19 centuries and 33 fifties in his Test career.

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