Is a brilliant Test debut a blessing or a curse?

Todd Murphy’s haul of 7/124 on debut, followed up by his tidy figures of 3/75 in the second Test, give the possibility if not the promise of the beginning of a long and successfully career.

Certainly he has staked a claim as the heir apparent to the perhaps under-appreciated Nathan Lyon, who sits as the eighth-leading wicket-taker of all time on 468 wickets. But before we start opening the champagne bottles, the cautionary tale is that an exceptional debut is often a curse rather than a blueprint for the future.

The best match debut figures belong to India’s Narendra Hirwani and our own Bob Massie, who both took 16 wickets on debut. In 1988, 19-year-old leg spinner Hirwani mesmerised a West Indies side that included Viv Richards, Richie Richardson, Gus Logie, Desmond Haynes and Jeff Dujon.

On the spin-friendly Chennai pitch he finished with what is still a record debut of 16/136. It looked like India had found their new B. S. Chandrasekhar and he was an overnight national hero. He never reached anywhere near those heights again and finished his career six years later with a modest 17 Tests and 66 wickets with an average that started as 8.5 on debut, and ended at 30.11.

Hirwani’s remarkable feat replaced the previous record-holder for the best debut by one run. I can remember as a 12-year-old in 1972 as our family jumped in glee in front of the ABC with every wicket Massie took in his debut at Lords for figures of 16/137.

His first wicket was Geoff Boycott with a yorker and then he cut a swathe through the Poms with his control and swing. Coming both over and around the wicket with his mutton-choped sideburns he took the wicket of Tony Greig, Basil D’Oliveira, Alan Knott and captain Ray Illingwoth in each innings as England were bamboozled by his guile.

It is worth watching the old footage to see how medium pace he was, how much control he had in that match and how subdued celebrations of wickets were 50 years ago. Oh, and did I mention the hairstyles?

Massie played five more Tests, finished with 31 wickets and within a short time was dropped from the WA shield side and disappeared.

Perhaps it is the unknown factor when the opposition are not sure what is coming and you are yet to be analysed, studied and any weakness discovered becomes the opposition batters’ information. Perhaps with a few early wickets on debut you bowl with a freedom and lack of pressure that soon comes with an expectation of consistent performances, Test after Test.

For whatever reason, the sensational debut is rarely converted into an outstanding career.

Murphy did not have a chance to challenge the match figures of Hirwani and Massie as remarkably, despite his heroics, India only had to bat once.

Todd Murphy celebrates taking the wicket of Virat Kohli. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Leaving players who played in the 1800s out, as so few Tests where played then, Hirwani and Massie also hold four of the top five best figures for an innings on Test debut. Wedged between then is South African Lance Klusener, whose 8/64 against India at Eden Gardens heralded the rise of a new star. Whilst Kluesner had a productive 49-Test career, his 80 wickets at 37.91 betrayed his early promise.

After Masssie, the most successful debut in an innings for an Australian was Jason Krejza, who took 8/215 in 2008 against India in Nagpur. Krejza proved to be very expensive, and managed only one more Test and finished with 13 wickets with the unflattering average of 43.23.

Next on the list for Australia are Murphy and Scott Boland with his brilliant 6/7 against England at the MCG in 2021. Let’s hope the debut curse does not follow them for the sake of Australian cricket and its currently suffering supporters.

When you compare those figure with our greatest-ever bowlers it may be that a more modest beginning is preferable for longevity of one’s career. Shane Warne debuted with figures of 1/150 against India in Sydney, and Glenn McGrath with the modest 3/142 against New Zealand at the WACA.

Here’s hoping for our sakes that Murphy’s star continues to shine and he does not succumb to the same fate as so many outstanding debutants in the past.