Top-scoring on debut, twice

What did Umar Akmal do at Dunedin in November 2009 that Edmund Tylecote first did at the MCG in 1882? He top-scored for his team in both innings of his debut Test, making 129 and 75 against New Zealand. Only 16 debutant batsmen, Tylecote and Akmal included, have done it in Tests, while 46 bowlers have had the best bowling figures for their team in each innings on debut.

Two debutants top scored for India in successive Tests against England in 1933-34. Lala Amarnath's 38 was the best individual contribution to India's first-innings total of 219, and his 118 was the highest in their second-innings total of 258. It was the first Test hosted by India, and England won by nine wickets at the Gymkhana ground in Bombay. In the next game wicketkeeper Dilawar Hussain made his debut, replacing Janardan Navle, and made 59 and 57 in each innings, more than any of his team-mates. He had a hard time, though, for Hussain opened on a green pitch at Eden Gardens and had to retire hurt after getting struck by a bouncer from Morris Nichols. He returned with his head bandaged and had to retire again, this time after getting hit on the thumb by Nobby Clark. To his credit, Hussain returned again to complete his half-century.

No debutant top scored in each innings for nearly four decades after Hussain, until Lawrence Rowe did so in spectacular fashion for West Indies against New Zealand in 1972. He still remains the only batsman to make a double-century and a hundred on debut. The last two England batsmen to top score in both innings on debut were of South African origin, and both did it in Ashes Tests. Tony Greig scored 57 and 62 at Old Trafford in 1972, and Kevin Pietersen made 57 and 64 not out at Lord's in 2005.

You'd think Don Bradman would be among batsmen who have made the highest score in each innings of a Test the most times, but he isn't. Ken Barrington and Brian Lara head that list, top scoring for England and West Indies in each innings nine times in their careers. West Indies, however, didn't win any of the games, drawing two and losing seven Tests, in which Lara was their highest scorer.

Perhaps the most memorable instances of Lara shining and West Indies losing came on the tour of Sri Lanka in 2001. Lara made 178 and 40 in Galle and the hosts won by ten wickets. He made 221 and 130 at the SSC and Sri Lanka won by ten wickets again.

No points for guessing which bowler had the best figures in each innings of a Test the most times. Muttiah Muralitharan has done it 31 times, 16 more than Richard Hadlee and Anil Kumble, and 17 more than Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath. It's no surprise then that there are no other Sri Lankans in the table below, especially since Murali has the most ten-wicket hauls in Tests. His team-mates often had only scraps to share between them.

Forty-six bowlers have had the best figures in each innings on debut, the most recent being Bangladesh's Mahmudullah, who took 3 for 59 and 5 for 51 in a 95-run victory in Kingstown.

One of the first players to do it was Fred Martin, who took 6 for 50 and 6 for 52 in England's two-wicket victory against Australia at the Oval in 1890. His 12 for 102 was the best figures by a debutant until Bob Massie destroyed England with 16 for 137 in 1972. Martin, however, played only one more Test and took 2 for 39 against South Africa at Cape Town in 1892. He spent the rest of his career at Kent.

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