Where does Kyle Mayers' 210 not out rank among fourth-innings scores on debut?
And has anyone taken more six-fors in an innings than Stuart Broad's 12?
Kyle Mayers now holds the record for the highest fourth-innings score on debut • BCB
The highlight of West Indies' remarkable chase to win the first Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram at the weekend was the double-century by Kyle Mayers, who was making his Test debut. His unbeaten 210 was the fifth-highest score on debut, behind Reginald "Tip" Foster (287 for England vs Australia at Sydney in 1903-04), Jacques Rudolph (222 not out for South Africa vs Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2002-03), Lawrence Rowe (214 for West Indies vs New Zealand in Kingston in 1971-72) and Mathew Sinclair (214 for New Zealand vs West Indies in Wellington in 1999-2000). Brendon Kuruppu of Sri Lanka also made a double-century on debut (against New Zealand in Colombo in 1986-87).
The three West Indian newcomers in Chattogram were Shayne Moseley, Nkrumah Bonner and, as mentioned above, Kyle Mayers. The last time debutants went in at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in their first Test - excluding countries' inaugural matches - was at Lord's in 1946, when debutants Rusi Modi, Vijay Hazare and Abdul Hafeez Kardar filled those spots in the second innings. Kardar, who later captained Pakistan, had batted at No. 8 in the first innings, and was possibly a nightwatchman (not a very successful one, since he was out for a duck). Arguably a more genuine instance happened at Trent Bridge in 1935, when South Africa's Nos. 3, 4 and 5 in the first innings were debutants Eric Rowan, Dudley Nourse and the captain Herby Wade. There were ten earlier instances, eight of them in the 19th century.
The instance you're talking about came during the first Test against Pakistan in Mount Maunganui in December: as New Zealand pushed for victory, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson, Neil Wagner and Mitchell Santner all took two wickets. It didn't quite happen in England's first innings in Chennai, although it was possible after eight wickets as four of the Indian bowlers had two apiece.
You're right that Stuart Broad has taken six or more wickets in a Test innings on 12 occasions. It equals the record for England, set by the remarkable Sydney Barnes, who played only 27 Tests to Broad's 144 to date. Way out in front overall is Muttiah Muralitharan, who took 30 six-fors in his long career. Next come Anil Kumble and Shane Warne, with 19 apiece.
Victor Trumper and Don Bradman are often bracketed together as Australia's best-ever batsmen: in Trumper's case it's more down to the style in which he batted than the bare statistics, which are relatively modest. There is indeed one man who played in Trumper's last series, the 1911-12 Ashes, and in Bradman's debut Test in Brisbane in 1928-29: the New South Wales allrounder Charles Kelleway, who featured in 27 Tests in all. Three England cricketers - Jack Hobbs, Phil Mead and Frank Woolley - played against both Trumper and Bradman in Tests.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the updated edition of Wisden on the Ashes