Test debut ‘s are always special for any cricket player. You are getting to represent your country at the highest level in the oldest format. Test Cricket is the format in which you want to excel for your country because it is the ultimate test. Test debuts can be nervy and more often than not players struggle in their first games.
But there are a few players who perform well in their first game itself. There have been batsmen who have scored centuries on Test debuts. But there are also players who scored a century on their Test debut and then faded away. So, let’s have a look at five such players who scored a century on their Test debut but unfortunately faded away.
5. Dwayne Smith
Most of the cricket fans would know Dwayne Smith from the IPL as he had some good seasons for various franchises in the IPL. But he has represented West Indies in the Test format as well. The batting all-rounder made his Test debut against South Africa in 2004.
West Indies had to bat around 100 overs to save the Test match and Smith went on to score a century in the fourth innings of the Test. It was a great start to his Test career but it never really took as he went out of favour in just 10 games. He played his last Test in 2006 and since then wasn’t considered for the longest format.
4. Keaton Jennings
After the retirement of Andrew Strauss, England was searching for openers left, right, and center. They had tried a lot of players and finally, they gave an opportunity to Keaton Jennings. He made his Test debut against India at the Wankhede Stadium in 2016. He scored a century on his debut against the likes of Ashwin and Jadeja in India.
He looked good in India but struggled in the seaming conditions in England. He was dropped from the Test side but then returned back against India in 2018. He failed to make an impact and since then he hasn’t been considered for the England side.
3. Umar Akmal
The right-handed batsman from Pakistan made his Test debut against New Zealand in 2009 in Dunedin. He scored a century in his first Test innings which helped Pakistan put reach 332 in reply to New Zealand’s 429.
Umar Akmal was always seen as a talented youngster but somehow his talent didn’t translate in performances and within two years, he was dropped from the Pakistan Test side. He played his last Test in 2011 and since then hasn’t played a Test match.
2. Shaun Marsh
Shaun Marsh is probably the most talked-about veteran batsman in Australia. He made his Test debut in 2011 against Sri Lanka in the sub-continent. He scored 141 in his first Test innings in Sri Lanka which is one of the most difficult tasks for an Australian batsman. Shaun Marsh seemed to be the perfect middle-order batsman for Australia but unfortunately, he never sealed his place.
He was in and out of the team on a number of occasions and after the 2018/19 India series, he has never played a Test match for Australia. He is 37 and it seems as if he is running out of time to play for his nation.
1. Suresh Raina
The Indian left-hander who recently retired from international cricket had a stunning white-ball career but couldn’t crack the code for Test cricket. He made his debut in 2010 against Sri Lanka and he scored an important 120 in that game with Sachin Tendulkar. Suresh Raina seemed to be a long-term option in the middle-order.
He was given opportunities as he ended up playing 18 Tests but after a while, the selectors ran out of patience, and he was dropped from the Test side. If there is one thing that Raina wouldn’t be happy about in his career then it probably would be Test cricket.
