Five Indian bowlers who took multiple five-wicket hauls in their first two Tests

Manav Suthar and four other Indian bowlers have each recorded multiple five-wicket hauls within their first two Test matches for India, a list detailed in a Khel Now report published on 2026-08-20. The group includes pre-independence and modern-era players, spanning fast and spin bowlers.

India have played Test cricket for over a century, but only a handful of bowlers have delivered match-defining performances immediately after their debuts. Manav Suthar joined this select group after making his Test debut against Afghanistan, where he claimed his maiden five-wicket haul, and following that with a second five-wicket haul against Sri Lanka at Galle.

One of India’s earliest Test cricketers, Mohammad Nissar, holds the record for taking five-wicket hauls in consecutive Test matches right after his debut; he played in the pre-independence era and is the only fast bowler named among players who achieved multiple five-wicket hauls in their first two Tests, the remainder being spinners.

Laxman Sivaramakrishnan took five-wicket hauls in consecutive Tests after his debut and reached a 10-wicket haul in his second game, a milestone Manav Suthar also achieved in his first two matches.

Axar Patel featured on the list after a breakthrough series against England in 2021 in which he took three five-wicket hauls across his first two Tests; he amassed 27 wickets across his first three Test appearances but, the report states, he subsequently lost form and has not been part of India’s red-ball mix for a long time.

Narendra Hirwani produced the most spectacular start in the sample: on his Test debut in 1988 he recorded figures of 16/136 against the West Indies, became the first Indian to take three five-wicket hauls in his first two Tests, finished with 24 wickets after those two matches, and remains the only Indian bowler to take a 10-wicket haul on Test debut.

For further coverage, the Khel Now report advises following Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and using the Khel Now Android and iOS apps; Subhomoy Datta, the article’s author, has been a sports writer since 2022, holds a BSc in Microbiology from Rastraguru Surendranath College, WBSU, and is currently pursuing his master’s at NIT Surathkal.