3 Indian cricketers who made their Test debut on same date

Playing for the Indian cricket team is a dream that every kid in the country has, but only a few are able to realise it. When the dream finally materialises, then comes the biggest test of a player during his debut game, as it gives him the first exposure to the highly competitive environment of international cricket. 

Over the years, hundreds of players have gone on to make their debuts for India, but only a few have been able to leave a mark at the international level. Out of them, some big players have also made their debuts on the same day. Here are three players who made their Test debuts on the same day of the month:

1. Virat Kohli

The star batter made his Test debut on June 20, 2011, vs West Indies, but didn’t have a memorable start to his career in the longest format, scoring 4 and 15 in the two innings respectively. However, Virat Kohli put his initial setbacks behind him and went on to become India’s fourth-highest run scorer in the longest format with 9,230 runs to his name. Apart from that, he also became the most successful Test skipper of the country, guiding them to 40 wins from 68 matches, including the first-ever series win in Australia.

2. Rahul Dravid

The wall of Indian cricket made his Test debut against England at the prestigious Lord’s on June 20, 1996. Dravid announced his arrival in style, scoring a magnificent 95 in his first-ever innings in the longest format. He went on to become one of the greatest players to have represented India at the highest level, scoring a whopping 13,265 runs in Tests with 36 centuries and 63 fifties. He also guided India to just their third Test series win in England in 2007 under his captaincy.

3. Sourav Ganguly

The Prince of Kolkata also made his Test debut in the same match as Rahul Dravid on June 20, 1996 and entered the history books by slamming a century. Ganguly scored 131, with the help of 20 fours in his innings. He went on to have a successful career in the longest format, scoring 7212 runs from 113 matches with 16 centuries and 35 fifties. Ganguly also began a new era of team India under his leadership, leading them to several historic victories both at home and overseas.