As India embarks on yet another tour to Australia, we look back at the players who made their Test debuts in the country since the start of 2000 and their current whereabouts.
Irfan Pathan (2003)
The medium pacer made his debut aged just 19 in Adelaide during India's historic win in 2003 after an injury to Zaheer Khan. He struck immediately after the hosts decided to bat first, dismissing Matthew Hayden caught behind with just his 20th ball of his career. Pathan did not pick up any more wickets in the game but he was a part of a memorable Test win Down Under.
Irfan went on to play 28 more Tests, picking up a total of 100 wickets at an average of 32.26. He also made 1,105 runs and toured Australia three more times, most notably playing a match-winning role in the Perth win of 2008, which came on the backdrop of several controversies.
He played his last Test that year and has since donned the role of a commentator and expert on Star Sports. He continues to play in various Legends Leagues tournaments as well.
Vinay Kumar (2012)
Vinay made his debut under MS Dhoni in Perth in 2012, his sole outing in the format. He picked up just one wicket, dismissing Michael Hussey for 14 in the first innings. The pacer, called into the Test squad as a replacement for the injured Varun Aaron, also played 40 white-ball games for India, with his last India appearance coming in November 2013.
He retired from first-class cricket after playing 139 games in 2020. A year later, he was a part of IPL team Mumbai Indians’ talent scouting team and joined MI Emirates as the bowling coach in 2022.
Karn Sharma (2014)
The Test, which also marked Virat Kohli’s foray into captaincy, saw India hand over a debut to Karn Sharma, picking him ahead of the experienced R Ashwin. The move was met with criticism but Kohli later defended his decision saying he felt Karn, a leg-spinner, was bowling better in the warm-up games.
Karn bagged four wickets in the game - two each in both innings, but was overshadowed by Nathan Lyon’s 12-for in the game. It was the only Test Karn played, with Ashwin returning for the next three games of the tour.
Karn continues to play domestic cricket and represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2024 IPL.
KL Rahul (2014)
Rahul made his debut in Melbourne under MS Dhoni in 2014, making only four runs in two innings. However, he reversed his poor start by making a fine 110 in the next Test at Sydney, which ended in a draw.
His career has faced several obstacles since then, with Rahul averaging only 33.87 after 53 Tests. Brilliant tons have been followed by periods of mediocrity and he currently gears up to open in the upcoming Perth Test, hoping he can overcome another indifferent run.
Mayank Agarwal (2018)
Mayank was the sole India debutant in the 2018-19 series, replacing Rahul for the third Test at the top of the order. He vindicated the decision with a cautious 76 in the first innings as India batted first in Melbourne.
Mayank played 20 more Tests, making 1,488 runs with four hundreds at an average of 41.33. He also made two double-hundreds before losing his spot. He continues playing domestic cricket, leading Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy 2024/25.
Mohammed Siraj (2020)
Mohammed Siraj’s entry into Test cricket was marked by emotion and resilience, as he boldly confronted racist abuse in his debut series. The tour also established him as India’s next-in-line in their fast-bowling arsenal.
In a series where several senior players got injured, Siraj stepped up and took on the responsibility, the highlight being his 5-73 at Gabba, including the big wickets of Marnus Labischagne and Steven Smith.
Currently battling odd-form, he readies himself for a second tour and will be the second-most experienced quick in the attack after Jasprit Bumrah.
Navdeep Saini (2021)
Saini made his Test debut at Sydney last time around, picking up two wickets each in the innings. He also played the Brisbane game but went wicketless and has not played a Test since. Saini was recently picked for the India A series Down Under, and one of the reserve players alongside Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed.
T Natarajan (2021)
Yet another player who made his debut in the last Test series, Natarajan replaced the injured Umesh Yadav for the Gabba Test. He picked up three wickets and has not played a first-class match since. In September, reports suggested he will continue to stay away from red-ball cricket due to a persistent knee problem.
Washington Sundar (2021)
Sundar, the batting star at Gabba in 2021, has been picked as the third spinner for the upcoming Test tour of Australia.
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