The feat of taking a wicket off the very first ball in Test cricket is an extraordinary achievement, and a few cricketers have etched their names in history for accomplishing this remarkable feat. Here’s a detailed look at the Indian cricketers who achieved this:
Syed Abid Ali made history by becoming the first Indian cricketer to take a wicket off the very first ball of his Test debut. He achieved this feat during India’s historic tour of the West Indies in 1971, a series that was crucial for India as they won their first-ever Test series in the West Indies.
Debutant Performance: In his debut Test match, Abid Ali bowled the first ball of the match to West Indies’ Roy Fredricks. The ball was perfectly delivered, and Fredricks, attempting a shot, was bowled out, giving Abid Ali an unforgettable debut.
Significance: This achievement put Abid Ali in a rare club of players who had taken a wicket on the first ball of their Test career. He remains one of the few cricketers to have accomplished this feat in the history of Test cricket.
Career: Although he didn’t have a long career at the international level, Syed Abid Ali’s first-ball wicket remains one of the great moments in Indian cricket.
Kapil Dev, one of India’s greatest cricketers and a World Cup-winning captain, emulated Syed Abid Ali’s feat twice in his career — a truly unique achievement.
Match: India vs. Pakistan, First Test at Jalandhar, Punjab (1983-84 series)
Kapil Dev achieved this rare milestone again in 1983-84 during the India vs. Pakistan Test series. In this match, on the very first ball of his spell, Kapil bowled out Mohsin Khan of Pakistan.
Wicket: Kapil’s first-ball delivery to Mohsin Khan was a well-placed delivery that dismissed the Pakistani batsman and made Kapil the second Indian after Syed Abid Ali to achieve this feat.
Match: India vs. South Africa, Second Test at Durban, South Africa (1992-93 series)
Kapil Dev’s achievement of taking a wicket off the first ball came once again in the 1992-93 series against South Africa in Durban. This time, it was Jimmy Cook, the South African opening batsman, who was the victim of Kapil’s first delivery.
Wicket: Kapil Dev bowled Jimmy Cook on the very first ball of his spell. This made Kapil Dev the first cricketer in history to achieve the feat twice in international Test cricket.
Significance: Kapil’s double achievement of taking a wicket off the first ball of the Test match in two different series (against Pakistan and South Africa) is unprecedented and remains a remarkable feat in Test cricket history.
Syed Abid Ali: First Indian to take a wicket off the first ball of his Test debut, against Roy Fredricks (West Indies) in 1971.
Took a wicket off the first ball of his spell against Mohsin Khan (Pakistan) in 1983-84.
Took a wicket off the first ball of his spell against Jimmy Cook (South Africa) in 1992-93.
Kapil Dev is the only cricketer to achieve this feat twice.
Taking a wicket on the very first ball of a Test match or debut is a rare and extraordinary achievement. The cricketers who have done this have become part of cricketing folklore. The moments are special not only for the player but also for the team and the fans, as they mark the beginning of a career or a match in an unforgettable way.
First-Ball Wickets in Test Cricket: Over the years, only a handful of cricketers have managed to take a wicket on the very first ball of a Test match or debut. This makes such feats highly memorable in the history of the game.
Unique Achievement by Kapil Dev: Kapil Dev’s achievement of doing it twice, especially in two different series, is a unique milestone. It highlights his consistency and ability to make an impact from the very first ball, something only a few cricketers in the world have managed to do.
The ability to take a wicket off the very first ball of a Test match is a feat that few cricketers have accomplished. Syed Abid Ali set the precedent in 1971 against West Indies, while Kapil Dev made it even more special by achieving the same feat twice — first in 1983-84 against Pakistan, and then in 1992-93 against South Africa. These remarkable achievements remain key moments in the annals of Test cricket, and Kapil Dev’s unique record of emulating the feat twice is a testament to his remarkable career.
