As the cricket world gears up to welcome Ireland and Afghanistan into the Test-match fold, we look back at the maiden Test matches of the game’s three most-recent inductees.
SRI LANKA, 1982
Sri Lanka became the eighth Test-playing nation in July 1981, playing their first Test seven months later.
THE MATCH
Sri Lanka v England
P Saravanamuttu Stadium, Colombo
17-21 February 1982
RESULT
England won by seven wickets
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
John Emburey (Eng)
THE STORY
Test cricket is no place for sentiment. After waiting so long to be granted Full Member status, and 150 years after the first cricket club was founded on the island, Bandula Warnapura’s Sri Lanka side were given a stern introduction to the five-day game against a strong England side.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Warnapura became the first Sri Lankan to be dismissed in Test cricket when he gloved a short ball from fellow captain Bob Willis to David Gower in the gully. But against the combined might of Willis, Ian Botham and Derek Underwood – a trio that would combine for over 1,000 Test wickets between them – Sri Lanka did well to post 218, with Ranjan Madugalle and Arjuna Ranatunga making maiden fifties in a 99-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
At the halfway stage the hosts were right in the match. Ashantha de Mel, a larger-than-life character who bowled fast, hit long and later represented Sri Lanka at the Commonwealth Nations Bridge Championship, took the first two wickets of England’s reply as the tourists were restricted to just a five-run first-innings lead.
Thereafter, however, the dream turned nightmarish. Sri Lanka lost their last seven wickets for just eight runs, with John Emburey’s 6/33 proving the difference. A relieved English top-order duly knocked off the 171 runs needed with little fuss.
THE FIRST WIN
Compared to many other countries, Sri Lanka’s maiden win came relatively quickly. In September 1985, in only their 14th match, a Sri Lankan side led by Duleep Mendis defeated India by 149 runs in Colombo.
Amal Silva, the wicket-keeper and opening bat, was named Player of the Match for striking a century and claiming nine dismissals in the game, even as the seamers ran through the Indian batting order. A public holiday was declared to mark the occasion.
Their first overseas win came 10 years later against New Zealand in Napier, when a young Chaminda Vaas swung it round corners to claim a maiden 10-wicket haul as Sri Lanka romped to a massive 241-run victory.
ZIMBABWE, 1992
Zimbabwe were granted Test status in July 1992.
THE MATCH
Zimbabwe v India
Harare Sports Club, Harare
18-22 October 1992
RESULT
Match drawn
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
David Houghton (Zim)
THE STORY
In the one-off Test during India’s 1992-93 tour, Zimbabwe posted 456 in their first innings, helped by skipper Dave Houghton’s 121 and Grant Flower’s 82.
In reply India were bowled out for 307, but they took 169.4 overs to get there, with Sanjay Manjrekar bringing up what was then the fifth-slowest Test century, taking up 500 minutes and 422 balls. Zimbabwe were 146/4 when stumps were drawn on the final day, the Test ending in a draw.
The star of the show was John Traicos. After first representing South Africa in 1970 prior to their sporting isolation, the off-spinner appeared for his second Test nation at the age of 45. He duly took five wickets in India’s innings, including Sachin Tendulkar – caught-and-bowled for nought.
THE FIRST WIN
Progress was slow. Across Zimbabwe’s first 30 Tests, they would claim just one victory. It came against Pakistan at Harare in 1995, in a crushing innings victory. After posting 544/4dec with Grant Flower making 201* and his brother Andy 156, Heath Streak led the charge with the ball, picking up nine wickets as Pakistan wilted to be defeated by an innings and 66 runs. Despite the victory, Pakistan would go on to claim the series 2-1.
BANGLADESH, 2000
The most-recent team to be granted Full Member status, Bangladesh were inducted in June 2000 and played their first match in November of that year.
THE MATCH
Bangladesh v India
Bangabandhu National Stadium, Dhaka
10-13 November 2000
RESULT
India won by nine wickets
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Sunil Joshi (Ind)
THE STORY
When Bangladesh posted 400 in their first innings thanks to Aminul Islam’s painstaking 145 (compiled across 535 minutes) and Habibul Bashar’s 71, there were many who wondered if they could open their account with a debut victory, and when India replied with 429, an upset was still on the cards. But a second-innings collapse saw the hosts bowled out for a paltry 91, with Sunil Joshi proving their nemesis with both bat and ball. Set an easy target of 63, India coasted to the win.
THE FIRST WIN
The next four years were a struggle for Test cricket’s newest inductees, as Bangladesh failed to secure a win in any of their next 33 Test matches, losing 29 of these games.
Finally, when Zimbabwe came knocking in 2004-05, Bangladesh beat the visitors by 226 runs in the first Test in Chittagong in January 2005. Having set Zimbabwe a target of 381, Enamul Haque jnr led the demolition job, picking up 6/45 to bowl them out for 154.
Since that watershed, they have registered victories over England, Sri Lanka and Australia to establish their credentials as a force in the five-day game. India, though, remain undefeated in 13 matches between the two nations.
