In the modern era of 'Test cricket', there are few sides as ominous as Team India. With a deep batting line-up and a fearful attack, the Men in Blue always look to terrify their opponents. But the strange thing about India's 'Test matches' is that they have an almost uncanny ability to make debutants shine.
Jason Krejza's 12 wickets in the 2008 series and Alastair Cook's century on debut in Nagpur are prime examples of the same. And it seems that with the advent of the World Test Championship, that tendency of India's has shown no signs of abating.
Here are five debutants who turned the situation around for their respective teams against India in Test cricket recently
1. Sonal Dinusha (Sri Lanka, 2026)
Coming into a series without seniors like Dinesh Chandimal, Kusal Mendis and Pathum Nissanka, 25-year-old Sonal Dinusha had his fair share of tests ahead in 2026. Armed with just three test caps before the series, the Sri Lankan southpaw faced up against the Indian attack and responded with a brilliant display of keeping the attack on a leash.
Sonal Dinusha swept with precision and attacked at the right moments to anchor his team's middle order. Having scored two tons in three innings with 287 runs to his name, well ahead of anyone else on the team, the left-hander had not just proven himself against one of the world's best but had also secured a place in Sri Lanka's future.
2. Keegan Petersen (South Africa, 2021-22)
With the Proteas sitting at 1-0 and threatening to record their first-ever Test series win on Indian soil, South Africa needed a solid player to sit at No.3. Keegan Petersen, a gritty batter with just two Tests to his name, was handed the task. Having barely seen the light after playing in Centurion, Petersen showed his class in the next two matches.
The South African scored three half-centuries in four innings, facing 441 deliveries in total to completely ruin India's historic hopes. Petersen's two fifties in the final match at Cape Town were enough to secure a thrilling series win and a Player of the Match award. While his exploits on the international circuit would slow down in the years that followed, Petersen would always look back on this series fondly.
3. Zakir Hasan (Bangladesh, 2022)
Zakir Hasan was called into the squad as an injured replacement for the senior Tamim Iqbal in the 2022 Chittagong Test. Hasan was given the massive task of facing a 513-run target in his debut match.
Coming off a poor first innings, debutant Hasan showed remarkable resilience in forming a 124-run opening stand with Najmul Hossain Shanto. Hasan eventually scored a brilliant century on his debut, surviving a relentless Indian attack that bowled 224 deliveries at him. While Bangladesh would eventually lose the match, Hasan's fearless display still stood out as his sole international highlight.
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4. Tom Hartley (England, 2024)
England's 2024 tour of India got off to a shaky start for debutant left-arm spinner Tom Hartley. On his very first spell in Hyderabad, Yashasvi Jaiswal went all out guns, sending the new boy for sixes at will. While most debutants would have been shell-shocked by this kind of reception, Hartley rose to the occasion and produced a brilliant second-innings spell to dismantle the Indian batting line-up.
Bowling with exceptional control, Hartley reaped a 7/92 haul to pick up a nine-wicket match haul and help propel England to a stunning 28-run win. Hartley would finish the five-match series with an incredible 22 wickets to his name, etching his name into history books as one of the most feared debutants in Test cricket history.
5. Todd Murphy (Australia, 2023)
Todd Murphy, a 22-year-old off-spinner, was called upon to fill the role of Nathan Lyon when Australia arrived in India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy clash. Instead, it was a surprisingly inexperienced off-spinner who stole the show in the series-opening match in Nagpur.
Taking on debut, Murphy out-bowled his senior captain to chalk up a career-best 7/124 in the first innings. Australia eventually lost the match, but Murphy's display in Nagpur would be enough to earn him accolades for weeks to come. Meanwhile, his impact on the match would slowly fade away as the series were on.