New boys in a spin

Schofield: What did I do wrong?

Chris Schofield was not the first, and he certainly will not be the last, player to have had an inauspicious start in Test cricket.

The disappointment of recording a three-ball duck at Lord's was wiped away with a maiden Test half-century full of character and verve at Trent Bridge.

His figures of nought for 73 from 18 overs - only two of them maidens - in what was essentially his debut with the ball are, however, cause for real concern ahead of the series with the West Indies.

No fewer than 40 of the runs he conceded came in boundaries. But how did Schofield's first taste of Test cricket compare with that of other leg-spinners in the game?

Shane Warne
(366 wickets in 84 Test matches at 25.96)

Warne had a famously bad first Test match at Sydney, traditionally a spinner's paradise.

He did bat for 71 minutes to score 20 coming in at number 10, but Australia's first-innings total of 313 was soon passed as India rattled up 483.

If Ravi Shastri taught the young, podgy leggie who had been plucked from near-obscurity a thing or two in scoring 206, Sachin Tendulkar was ruthless in upping the tempo as the Indians sought to make up for time lost to rain.

Shortly after the start of play on the fifth morning, Warne returned to the pavilion licking his wounds having recorded figures of one for 150 from 45 overs. Shastri was his only wicket, caught by Dean Jones.

The Aussies then collapsed to 173 for eight in reply, but hung on for a draw.

Richie Benaud
(122 wickets in 63 Tests at 24.45)

Benaud's debut was astonishing for one thing - Australia were dismissed for 116 on the opening day in Sydney but went on to beat the West Indies by 202 runs.

Largely because the seamers held sway, Benaud's contribution with the ball was limited to 4.3 overs in the second innings, though he still managed to claim his maiden Test wicket, Alf Valentine bowled for a duck.

With the bat Benaud had a slow start. After scoring three in the first innings, he managed 19 second time round - against a bowling attack which had Worrell, Gomez, Ramadhin and Valentine to call upon - in Australia's second-inning 377.

The West Indies, having been humbled for 78 in the first innings, replied with 213.

Abdul Qadir
(236 wickets in 67 Tests at 32.80)

Though he made a habit of tying England in knots at will, Qadir's Test debut was another that barely hinted at the performances to come.

Pakistan batted first in the opening Test of the three-match series against England in Lahore and managing 407 for nine declared.

But Qadir was unable to take advantage of Pakistan's impregnable position, managing just one wicket in 32.7 overs (these were the days of eight-ball overs) as England passed the follow-on mark and reached 288.

Pakistan ended a rain-interrupted Test by reaching 106 for three in their second innings.

Qadir was not long in finding his feet, however. In the second Test, in Hyderabad, he took six for 44 in the first innings, though the match was eventually drawn.

Ian Salisbury
(42 wickets in 12 Tests at 70.84)

Salisbury has the worst record of all the featured leg-spinners but, ironically, had by far the best debut.

An astonishing Test match at Lord's saw England, at one stage 123 for nought, struggle to 255 against Pakistan.

Pakistan then replied with 293 with Salisbury claiming his maiden Test wicket - and it was some wicket. Javed Miandad, as accomplished a player of spin as there has ever been, groped at a perfectly pitched leg-break, and edged to Ian Botham at slip.

But England could only manage 175 second time around - with Salisbury, having been sent in as a night watchman scoring 12 runs.

It should have been a stroll for Pakistan, but they collapsed to 18-3. Salisbury was introduced to the attack, and to good affect. In 14.1 overs he picked up three for 49.

England were so close to a remarkable win, inspired partly by their new leg-spinner, but Pakistan, having been eight for 95, crept over the finishing line at 141 for eight.

For those looking for bad omens - bad, that is, in the light of Salisbury's subsequent Test career - Salisbury also scored an unexpected half-century in his second Test.