One Test wonder is a term that’s used for two sets of players. A cricketer who plays just one Test; performs well in it, and never dons the whites for his country again are the first type. There are also a few cricketers who do exceedingly well in one Test at the start of their careers and never replicate the performance again. Such players also come under this category. In this article, we take a look at five players who are just one test wonder in cricket history.
1) Andy Ganteaume (WI) – Scored a hundred on debut and never played again
Matches – 1 || Runs – 112 || Average – 112 || Highest Score – 112
Andy Ganteaume is considered the ultimate Test wonder by many. He played just one encounter, scored a century in it, and never returned to represent West Indies again.
On his debut against England, although he scored a hundred, his scoring rate was too low at the end. This received a lot of criticism. At that time, the West Indian batting line-up had stalwarts like Gary Sobers and Rohan Kanhai. Hence, Andy did not get a chance to walk out to bat again for his country.
2) Karun Nair (Ind) – Scored a triple-century in his third game
Matches – 6 || Runs – 374 || Average – 62.33 || Highest Score – 303*
The third player in international cricket to convert his maiden century into a triple hundred, Karun Nair played just three more games for India after that landmark innings. Against England at Chennai, Karun became the second triple-centurion for India after Virender Sehwag. However, in the next three encounters, he managed just a total of 54 runs.
When India toured England a few months later, Karun was in the squad. However, Hanuma Vihari, who came in as a replacement, was given preference in the XI. Since then, the Karnataka player has not gotten close to the Indian squad. At the moment, considering his form and the fight for places, it is hard to make a return.
3) Steve O’Keefe (Aus) – Took 12 wickets in a Test against India
Matches – 9 || Wickets – 35 || Average – 29.40 || BBM – 12/70
Steve O’Keefe was one of the many spinners who were tried by Australia in the post-Warne era. Barring Nathan Lyon, very few have found success. However, Steve O’Keefe was so good in one particular game that many felt he would stay in the team for a long time.
The left-arm spinner was selected to partner Lyon for the away series against India in 2017. In the game that was held in Pune, Steve took six wickets in each innings, and Australia handed a shocking 333-run defeat to Team India. The player’s record was the best ever figures by a visiting spinner in India. However, after that game, the New South Wales cricketer could manage only nine more wickets in his career. There has been no sign of him since 2017, and he announced retirement from FC cricket in 2020.
4) Bob Massie (Aus) – Took 16 wickets on debut
Matches – 6 || Wickets – 31 || Average – 20.87 || BBM – 16/137
Bob Massie is one of the players who are just one test wonder in cricket history. On his debut, the pacer took sixteen wickets, with eight scalps spread across each innings. Until Narendra Hirwani broke it a few years later, this was the best figure by a debutante in Tests.
However, the player represented his country for five more games only. Only 15 wickets came his way in these five encounters. Later, he was dropped by even his stateside, and he eventually took up commentary as his profession.
5) Jayant Yadav (India) – Scored a hundred in his third game
Matches – 4 || Wickets – 11 || Runs – 228 || Batting Avg – 45.60 || Highest Score – 104
After impressing in the domestic circuit, Jayant Yadav got a chance to play for India. This chance came by when England was touring India. Although he was decent with the ball, it was with the willow that he made an impression. Batting at No.9, in his third game, Jayant struck a century. He became the first batsman for India to score a century after coming at No.9.
However, after that game, Jayant has played only more match for India. A lot of this has to do with R Ashwin‘s dominance in the team. When Washington Sundar was recently ruled out, Jayant’s name was in the running to replace him. Hence, there is still a chance for the Haryana man to execute a return.
