Matt Kuhnemann made an unexpected Test debut for Australia against India in Delhi, despite only having played 13 first-class matches – here is a list of other players who’s debuts were just as out of the blue.
Australia chose to go in with three spinners for the second India Test, with Pat Cummins as their only pacer. Slow left-arm orthodox bowler Kuhnemann was selected over Ashton Agar and joins Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy in the spin attack after Mitchell Swepson returned home for the birth of his first child. But Kuhnemann’s selection has not been the only surprise debut in recent times.
Darren Pattinson – ENG v SA, 2008
England sprung a surprise during the second Test at Headingley after they handed a cap to 29-year-old Darren Pattinson, who had played only 11 first-class games before his debut. With Ryan Sidebottom out due to a back injury and England on the lookout for a bowler who could get the ball to swing under helpful conditions, Pattinson edged past Chris Tremlett to make the XI. Tremlett had been called up as an injury cover before Pattinson, but the latter got the final nod over Tremlett.
Pattinson’s selection over the likes of Matthew Hoggard as well as Ashes heroes Simon Jones and Steve Harmison was questioned at the time, with Harmison himself saying he was better suited to the conditions.
“I’ve nothing against Darren Pattinson. But he must have something special for the selectors to let him leapfrog over Matthew Hoggard and the rest. If Pattinson is the next in line, there will be a lot of other bowlers out there thinking “What has he done that we haven’t?”
Pattinson ended with 2-96 in the defeat, and never played a Test again.
Ashton Agar – AUS v ENG, 2013
Agar himself earned a shock debut when Australia handed him his first cap in the opening Ashes Test in Nottingham in 2013. The twelfth-youngest player presented with a Baggy Green, Agar had played only 10 first-class games, taking 31 wickets with best figures of 5-65, before he edged ahead of Nathan Lyon against England.
Initially picked as a development player for the Ashes, Agar had featured in the warm-up game against Worcestershire ahead of the series, but figures of 2-79 and 1-86 were not a standout. Agar was not picked in the original squad, and so surprising was his selection that head coach Darren Lehmann issued a statement defending his selection, “The main reason for the selection is taking the ball away from all their right-handers and we think this is a really important weapon in particular for this Test match on that particular wicket.”
Agar went wicketless in the first innings and picked up two wickets in the second but was a surprise performer with the bat, scoring 98 in 101 deliveries – the highest score by a No.11 batter. Agar has played only five more Tests since then, picking up nine wickets.
T Natarajan – IND v AUS, 2021
T Natarajan had played only 20 first-class games since 2015 before he was asked to make his debut against Australia at the Gabba, with the visitors desperately in search of XI fit players after a string of injuries throughout the tour. Natarajan, who had been picked as a net bowler for the Australia Tests, was not only included in the main squad but also made his debut in Brisbane. A yorker-specialist, he replaced Jasprit Bumrah and picked up three wickets as India went on to complete a historic win despite fielding a less than first string bowling attack comprised of Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar. Besides Thakur, all of those bowlers made their debuts in that series.
Natarajan has not played a Test – or any first-class game – since then, which suggests just how out of the ordinary his debut was.
Tabish Khan – PAK v ZIM, 2021
Pakistan handed a Test debut to 36-year-old Tabish Khan against Zimbabwe during the second game in 2021, rewarding him for his consistency in domestic cricket. Tabish had picked up 598 wickets in first-class cricket when he made his debut on the tour to Zimbabwe, as Pakistan were keen to explore their bowling reserves ahead of their series in the West Indies.
Tabish became the oldest Pakistan player to make his Test debut, 19 years after making his first-class bow. His selection against a lower-ranked side instead of giving an opportunity to a youngster was criticised by Ramiz Raja, who was yet to become the selector of the PCB. He said, “I still don’t understand the slotting and the selection of players in Pakistan cricket. You debut a 36 or a 38-year-old (Tabish Khan) in Zimbabwe against a team like Zimbabwe but you don’t give a chance to a 22-year-old. I mean I haven’t seen this happen anywhere in the world. And then you also free him after the Test debut. It’s basically a benefit match for him because you did not give him a Test cap with the future in mind. What kind of thinking and logic is this?”
Tabish did not play a Test match after that game.
Michael Beer – AUS v ENG, 2011
Then 26 years of age, Michael Beer was drafted into the XI for the SCG Ashes Test in 2011 after playing just six first-class games. The left-arm spinner, who had taken five wickets during a tour game against England at the WACA, apparently impressed the selectors and found a place in the squad over Nathan Hauritz, who had taken 19 wickets in six domestic games that season. Xavier Doherty, who played two Tests in the series, picked up 3 wickets at an average of 102 and was replaced by Beer for the last game, at the SCG with the series on the line.
Beer was unimpressive in his lone outing with the ball as Australia lost by an innings and he picked up just one wicket. He played one more Test against the West Indies 15 months later and never played for the country again. His last first-class game was in 2014.
