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5 Cricket Legends Who Played Their First And Last Test At The Same Venue: The oldest format of the game, Test cricket undoubtedly holds a special place in the hearts of cricketers as well as the annals of international cricket and its fans. Since its inception in 1877, Test cricket has been one of the most popular cricket formats among cricketers and aficionados. While it’s commemorated as one of the most popular cricket formats, test cricket is also considered one of the most rigid formats that demands unreal mental resilience and fitness as it goes on for days.
Numerous legendary cricketers around the world have established themselves as the most prominent additions to the legacy of test cricket with their notable milestones including centuries, five-wicket hauls, series victories, and so on. Driven by unreal enthusiasm and a common passion for cricket, numerous test series between the arch-rivals, including “India vs Pak” and “England vs Australia” set the bar high for all other formats.
While every Test series ends up stirring a streak of milestones and rivalries among cricketers, a few of the games become even more special when cricketers conclude their red-ball career exactly at the venue where they started it off.
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In this article, we will take a look at the top five legendary cricketers who played their first and last test at the same venue.
James Anderson
England’s legendary spin bowler with a total of 700 test wickets under his name would be playing his final 188th test cricket match against West Indies at Lord’s on July 10, 2024. The iconic bowler who has proved to be nothing short of a nightmare for numerous top-order batsmen from around the world, including Sachin Tendulkar, David Warner, Peter Siddle, Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara, Bradley James Haddin, and many more started with his red-ball cricket at the Lord’s venue in May 2003 and would be concluding it with utter elegance and grace at the same venue after his career’s final test match against West Indies.
Additionally, as of July 2024, James Anderson ranks third on the list of the highest number of scalps in test cricket and if the English bowler manages to pick up a total of nine more wickets, he can surpass Shane Warne and establish himself as a bowler with the second-highest number of scalps in test cricket.
Shane Warne
Australia’s legendary spin bowler, Shane Warne, made his official test debut against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1992 and, coincidentally, the Aussie played his career’s last test match against England at the same venue in January 2007, making it an even more special occasion for his fans. The late Australian cricketer witnessed a remarkable cricketing career in the test format spanning over a decade and a half.
Shane Warne played a total of 145 test matches in his illustrious career and picked up a total of 708 wickets, which is considered to be the second-highest number of wickets in test cricket, speaking volumes about his dominance in the format. In his career’s final test match against England, Shane Warne significantly contributed, picking up two crucial wickets and driving Australia to a highly commendable victory by 10 wickets.
Dale Steyn
The legendary fast bowler of South Africa, Dale Steyn, played his debut Test match against England on 17 December 2004 at Port Elizabeth and played his career’s last test match against Sri Lanka at the same venue. Dale Steyn often hailed as one of the finest fast bowlers in the international cricket format, played a total of ninety-three test matches in his career and picked up a total of 439 wickets at a brilliant average of 22.95 before announcing his official retirement from all forms of cricket in 2021.
Although Dale Steyn proved to be a potential threat to the top-order battling lineups for teams from all over the world in the test format, his career’s last match against Sri Lanka proved to be a disaster as he wasn’t able to pick up even one wicket throughout the match and suffered a major blow as South Africa lost the match to Sri Lanka by 8 wickets.
Javed Miandad
Mohammed Javed Miandad, former captain of Pakistan’s test cricket squad, is often hailed as one of the “greatest” cricketers ever produced by Pakistan cricket. Looked upon and commemorated as the most lethal and influential batsman of his era in the international format, Javed Miandad made his official test debut against New Zealand at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan in October 1976 and ended up playing his career’s last test match against Zimbabwe in December 1993 at the same venue.
Javed Miandad appeared in a total of 124 test matches in his career and amassed a total of 8832* runs, which consisted of twenty-three tons and forty-three fifties, making him one of the most formidable batsmen in Pakistan’s cricket squad.
Ricky Ponting
Former Australian cricketer and skipper Ricky Ponting is a name that requires no introduction in the annals of international cricket. Ricky Ponting represented the Aussies side for seventeen long years and achieved terrific milestones all along.
The former skipper of the Australian cricket squad made his official test debut against Sri Lanka at Perth in December 1995 and, in an overwhelmingly surprising turn of events, the legendary cricketer ended up playing his career’s last test match against South Africa in November 2012 at the same iconic venue. Although Ponting couldn’t meet the expectations and lead the Australian team to victory against the Proteas, the crowd at the venue stood up and commemorated the glorious legacy of the cricketer as he walked back to the pavilion after being dismissed in his final 168th test match.
