Memorable Debuts
RE "Tip" Foster holds the world record for the highest score on test debut. He scored 287 on test debut for England vs Australia in 1903-04. He is also the only man to captain England at both football and cricket.
Lawrence Rowe of the West Indies however, managed to score more runs than Foster in his first test making 214 and 100* in 1971-72. The only other cricketer to score 2 centuries on test debut is Yasir Hameed of Pakistan who made 170 and 108 against Bangladesh in 2003.
Playing his first test for New Zealand versus India in Calcutta (1965), Bruce Taylor scored 105 and took 5/86. He remains the only cricketer to score a century and take a five-for on test debut.
On first-class debut for Barbados in 1966-67 Geoff Greenidge (no relation to Gordon) scored 205 and took 7/124 against Jamaica. He was also the last white man to play test cricket for the West Indies.
Mohammed Azharuddin scored a century on test debut. Clearly he enjoyed the feeling. He followed it up with centuries in his next two matches and remains the only test cricketer to score three centuries in his first three tests.
Narendra Hirwani, playing his first test for India against the West Indies at Madras in 1998, took an astonishing 16 wickets for 136 runs. Remarkably he broke the world-record for the best debut figures by just 1 run! Bob Massie of Australia had earlier taken 16 for 137 on his debut.
Soon after migrating to New Zealand, Albert Moss played for Cantebury and took 10/28 in an innings. The only ten-for on first-class debut.
And some disappointing ones
Marvan Atapattu of Sri Lanka had a rather unfortunate start to his test career. His first six test innings were 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 0. Remarkably he forced his way back into the Sri Lankan team, and has not scored 6 test double centuries - a record for Sri Lanka.
Australian Arthur Chipperfield (1934), West Indian Robert Christiani (1947-48) and Pakistani Asim Kamal ( 2003-04) are the only batsman to score 99 on test debut.
Khalid Hasan of Pakistan made his test debut in 1954 aged just 16 years and 352 days. Four days later his test career was over and is the youngest ever one-cap wonder and played is last day of test cricket at just 16 years and 356 days - a record.
Legend has it that Dr. Roy Park's wife missed his entire test career because she dropped her knitting. Park was dismissed first ball in his only test innings as his wife bent down to pick up her knitting! There was more cricket in the family though, as their daughter married future Australian captain Ian Johnson.
Dennis Smith of New Zealand dismissed Eddie Paynter of England with his first ball in test cricket (1932-33). Unfortunately it was a bit of a false dawn. Smith never took another wicket in test cricket!
Jack MacBryan is probably the unluckiest test cricketer ever. In his only test for England in 1924 only 66.5 overs were possible due to rain. He is the ONLY test cricketer to have never batted, bowled or taken a catch in his entire test career!

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