Published By: Sanchari Das

BGT 2024/25: Jaiswal Joins This Unwanted Club of Indian Openers at Adelaide

With the Border-Gavaskar series still in play, Jaiswal has the perfect opportunity to turn this disappointment into motivation

Yashasvi Jaiswal etched his name into a less desirable corner of cricketing history during the second Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide. The young Indian opener was dismissed for a golden duck on the very first ball of the Test match, courtesy of a vicious in-swinger from Australian pacer Mitchell Starc. The ball struck Jaiswal in front of his leg stump, leaving the umpire without hesitation in raising his finger. After a brief chat with his partner KL Rahul, Jaiswal chose not to review, walking back for a duck in what was only his first such dismissal in Tests.

A historical record for all the wrong reasons

Jaiswal’s dismissal marked him as the seventh Indian opening batter to face the ignominy of a golden duck in Test cricket. This unwanted list features some of Indian cricket’s most notable names, including Sunil Gavaskar, Sudhir Naik, WV Raman, Shiv Sunder Das, Wasim Jaffer, and KL Rahul. The young batter’s setback also reignites discussions about the challenges Indian openers face in coping with the first ball of a Test match, especially under pressure-filled conditions.

Sunil Gavaskar’s triple encounter with first-ball fate

Legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar is an outlier in this unfortunate club, having been dismissed on the first ball of a Test match not once but thrice. His first instance came in 1974 at Edgbaston, where England’s Geoff Arnold sent him packing. Nine years later, Gavaskar fell to the fearsome Malcolm Marshall in Kolkata, and in 1987, Pakistan’s Imran Khan trapped him at Jaipur. Despite these rare mishaps, Gavaskar’s legacy remains untarnished, with over 10,000 Test runs to his name.

Others who faced the first-ball misfortune

The golden duck list also features Sudhir Naik, who was dismissed by the fiery Andy Roberts in 1974 during a match against the West Indies. In 1990, WV Raman was caught off guard by New Zealand’s Richard Hadlee, who bowled an impeccable delivery to dismiss him. Shiv Sunder Das joined this club in 2002, falling to Mervyn Dillon in a Test against the West Indies.

Wasim Jaffer and KL Rahul: Victims of seam and swing

In 2007, Wasim Jaffer faced a stunning delivery from Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza, who cleaned him up with a ball that jagged back to hit the off stump in Chattogram. Jaffer’s shocked expression mirrored the disbelief of the Indian team.


Similarly, in 2017, KL Rahul became the victim of a superb outswinger from Suranga Lakmal of Sri Lanka, with wicketkeeper Dickwella taking a sharp catch. Rahul, now Jaiswal’s partner at the crease, is no stranger to the sinking feeling of a golden duck.

Starc’s revenge and rare feat

Mitchell Starc’s delivery to Jaiswal silenced the young batter and placed the Australian pacer in an elite category. This was the third time Starc had dismissed a batter on the first ball of a Test match, making him only the second bowler after West Indies’ Pedro Collins to achieve this feat. Adding fuel to the fire, Starc’s success came after Jaiswal had mocked him during the first Test, calling his pace “too slow.”

Lessons for Indian openers

Golden ducks are often a harsh reminder of the unpredictability of cricket, and Jaiswal’s dismissal is no different. For a batter who has shown immense promise, this setback will serve as a learning experience. The history of Indian cricket is filled with tales of redemption, and Jaiswal will look to emulate his predecessors, who bounced back from similar setbacks to make remarkable contributions. Jaiswal has the perfect opportunity to turn this disappointment into motivation with the Border-Gavaskar series still in play.