List of Players Who got out on Duck in Their Test Debut

Players who made it big after scoring zero on debut

1. Graham Gooch - England

They stylish English batter started his career with a duck but went on to become one of the finest for England. He played 118 test matches and scored 8,900 runs. Graham was one of the finest batter in the world at that time . He has scored a total of 100 centuries in first class and List A combine. 

Graham Gooch faced a low time in his career when he was banned from England side for three years in 1982 after the South Africa tour but he didn't give up Graham made a strong comeback into International cricket in 1985. He also made it to the 1987 world cup squad.

He has scored total of 67,057 runs in his entire career which shows the class and consistency he had and not just that Graham was a handy bowler too , he has picked up more than 200 wickets in his career. After few ordinary years Graham Gooch played the innings of his lifetime in 1990 against India in Lords. He scored 333 in the first innings and 123 in the second innings and won the game single handedly for his team. Gooch is perfect example that no matter however you start its always important how you finish.

2. Gundappa Vishwanath - India 

Gundapppa Vishwanath was a role model for many India players, his flawless and effortless batting was pleasing to watch. He was the leading batter for team India in 1970s despite getting out on zero on his debut . Vishwanath went on to score 14 test hundreds. Gundapppa Vishwanath scored zero and hundred in his debut test which made him only fourth player to do so.

He played 91 innings for India and managed to score more than 6,000 runs for team India. Vishwanath was at his peak in the 1970s ,he was considered as one of the best test batter at that time . Vishwanath averages more than 50 against West Indies and Australia who were considered to have the best bowling attack in world cricket at that time. Playing those deadly pace attacks without a helmet is not everyone's cup of tea and Vishwanath made it look easy. He was also the idol of many great cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.  

3. Dimuth Karunaratne - Sri Lanka

Dimuth Karunaratne was the leading runs scorer for Sri Lanka after the departure of Kumar sangakarra and Mahela Jaywardhane. Dimuth Karunaratne scored 7000+ test runs for Sri Lanka. Dimuth Karunaratne made his debut against New Zealand after seasoned opener T Dilshan was injured but Dimuth scored a duck in the first innings but came back stronger in the second innings as he scored his first fifty and also the winning runs for his team .

Karunaratne was included in the ICC test team of the year 3 times in his career. Total he has scored 16 test Centuries and often referred as second innings specialist as he scored most of his runs in the second innings of the test match. 

4. Dean Elgar - South Africa 

On 28 December 2015, Elgar became the first South African opener to carry his bat in a Test innings since Gary Kirsten in 1997, when he finished 118 not out against England.

On 5 November 2016, Elgar scored 127 during the first Test against Australia at Perth.The partnership of 250 by himself and JP Duminy in the match was recorded as South Africa's highest partnership in Perth, the third highest overall in Perth, and their second highest against Aussies.On 11 March 2017, against New Zealand he became the first South African opener to face 200 or more balls in both innings of a Test. 

On 27 January 2018, against India Elgar became the first South African to carry his bat twice in Tests since 1992.

On 23 March 2018, Elgar carried the bat for the third time in his test career scoring an unbeaten 141 against Australia when South Africa was bowled out for 311 in the first innings of the 3rd test, equalling the record with Desmond Haynes of West Indies. With this achievement, he also became the only batsman to carry his bat in an innings of a test match twice in a single calendar year.

5. Marvan Atapattu - Sri Lanka

He was a giant in Sri Lankan domestic cricket, his performances earning him a coveted spot in the national team. But fate had a different plan for him—his debut was a nightmare. Not once, but twice, he registered ducks in his first two innings. Dropped from the team, Atapattu went back to the grind of domestic cricket for 19 long months. 

Most would have given up, but not Marvan. His hard work paid off again, and he was recalled to the national team. What followed? Another heartbreak, a score of zero in the first innings, and just one in the second. Another shot came his way. The result? A third devastating setback, two more zeros. Three chances, nothing to show. Any ordinary player might have thrown in the towel, but Marvan wasn’t ordinary. He had a fire burning inside him. His parents, owners of a flourishing business, urged him to give up cricket and join the family enterprise, especially since he was a qualified Chartered Accountant. But Marvan refused. His dream was clear: to represent Sri Lanka on the international stage.

6. Marnus Labuschagne - Australia

The starting was not impressive as he would have liked, but following the initial hiccups, the stylish batter never looked back and continues to impress cricket fanatics around the globe. He has also gained the trust of Cricket Australia's think tanks in a short span of time.The promotion to No 3 came somewhat out of the blue. Given Australia has typically seen the position as the most important in a Test batting order, it was a surprise to see them entrust the role with a man averaging a commendable but not breathtaking average of 33.17. untill the day marnus Labuschagne is regarded as one of the finest test batters going around in the world even though his recent form has gone done but his grit determination will definitely make him bounce back

7. Ravichandran Ashwin - India

After the recent retirement from test cricket R Ashwin left as a legend of Indian Cricket mostly known for his bowling skills and sharp mind Ashwin made life uneasy for every batter he faced . Ashwin picked up 537 test wickets in his entire international career . His performance against every visiting team was the reason for Team India's home dominance over the years . Not just with the ball but Ashwin was a handy batter as well he scored 6 test Centuries in his career and often gave crucial lower order contributions for the team.

Indian Players who got out on duck on their Debut 

As many as 29 Indian players have started their test careers with a duck on debut. Among these players, there are mostly bowlers who could not get off the mark in their first game. However, Gundappa Viswanath over his career showcased his brilliance with the bat in hand. The right-handed batter, after being dismissed on a duck in the first innings of his debut, bounced back with a stylish century. 

Apart from Viswanath, some other batters in the list include Parthiv Patel and Wriddhiman Saha. Sai Sudharsan joined this list during the first test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The 23-year-old batter was dismissed by Ben Stokes for a four-ball duck in a match where Indian batters scored five centuries. It was a see-saw clash between England vs India that went out till the fifth day with the game hanging in the balance.