Getting a chance to represent one's country on the international stage is a matter of pride and honour for any cricketer. Also, for any player, their first match is pretty special, especially when it is in Test cricket. Australia, who are one of the powerhouses in cricket, have also had many players who have been fortunate enough to play for their country. In the article below, we have arranged some of the top performers for Australia on their debut in Test cricket.
1. Charles Bannerman (1877)
The first player on our list is Charles Bannerman, a former right-handed batter for Australia. Charles scored a century on his Test debut for Australia in 1877. Also, this was the very first Test match played in cricket history. It was against England in Melbourne. He scored an unbeaten 165 and registered his name in the history books.
2. Michael Clarke (2004)
Next on our list is Michael Clarke, a former Australia captain and one of their most dashing and flamboyant batters. At the age of 23, Clarke made his Test debut against India in 2004. In his first match, he scored a brilliant 151 against some of the best spinners in the world on spinning conditions. This helped Australia beat India and clinch the series.
3. Archie Jackson (1929)
Archie Jackson was a teenager (19) when he played his first Test match against England in 1929 at the Adelaide Oval. Jackson scored a brilliant 164 runs in the first innings and helped Australia post 369 runs. However, he then played for Australia for four years before tuberculosis claimed his life.
4. Kepler Wessels (1982)
Kepler Wessels was born in South Africa and played for the South African team as well before playing for the Australian team. In 1982, he played his first Test match against England at Brisbane. He scored 162 runs against the likes of Sir Ian Botham and Bob Willis and gained attention immediately.
5. Marcus North (2009)
Marcus North began his Test career in 2009 against South Africa in Johannesburg. North played as a middle-order batter in that particular game and scored 117 runs against a terrific South African bowling line-up. This innings by North helped Australia win the first Test of the series.
6. Greg Chappell (1970)
Greg Chappell, Greg Chappell played his first Test match against England at Perth in 1970. Batting at number seven in his first match, Chappell scored a gritty 108 against a good English bowling line-up. This innings of his helped Australia recover from defeat and end the game in a draw.
7. Doug Walters (1965)
Doug Walters was a right-handed batter from New South Wales. In 1965, he began his Test career after playing against England at Brisbane. He scored 155 runs in that match. In a total of 74 Tests, he scored over 5000 runs at an impressive average of 48.26 with 15 centuries and 33 fifties to his name.
8. Shaun Marsh (2011)
Shaun Marsh is a left-handed top-order batter for Australia. Marsh played his debut Test match against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2011. In his very first match, he showed his class and calibre as a batter by scoring a brilliant 141 in spinning conditions. However, his injuries have frequently kept him in and out of the team.
9. Adam Voges (2015)
Adam Voges was a right-handed batter for Australia and a typical Test match batter with sheer elegance and patience. Voges started his Test career in 2015 against the West Indies at Roseau. He scored an unbeaten 130 in his first match and was the oldest to do so on his debut. He was 35 years and 242 days old when he first played for Australia.
10. Wayne Phillips (1983)
Wayne Phillips was a left-handed wicketkeeper batter from South Australia. Phillips made his debut in the longest format of the game in 1983 against Pakistan in Perth. He scored 159 runs in that match, which is also his highest Test score. Until 1986, he played in 27 Tests and scored 1485 runs at an average of 32.28.
