Ashton Agar smashes 98 on Test debut (Source: @ICC/x.com)
Life is full of fulfilled and unfulfilled dreams, and for a budding cricketer, making a debut for their nation is their ultimate goal. When years of hard work, backyard battles, and determination pull them closer to their dreams, the moment becomes a forever spectacle of their lives.
A bowler often eyes an unforgettable spell on debut, and a batter hopes for an unforgettable innings, but often destiny does its own magic. When luck takes the helm, the debut turns out to be like Australia’s Ashton Agar.
While his debut with the ball didn’t go as planned, Agar stole the spotlight with the bat. His sensational 98-run innings on the grand Ashes stage instantly became one of the series’ most memorable moments.
Agar’s debut looks forgettable—until everything changes
The Ashes isn’t just cricket, it’s war on the pitch. Over the years, the series delivered unreal red-ball dramas, and fans gathered some of the best cricketing memories. Whenever England and Australia collide on the 22 yards, the match turns into a battle, and some of the performances added more sparkle to it.
Making a debut is every budding cricketer’s dream, but that becomes unforgettable if it comes on the big stage of the Ashes. As it remained a dream of many, Ashton Agar lived in that. Making his debut in the Ashes 2013, he made history.
While bowling first, Australia restricted England to just 215 runs, but Ashton Agar needed to wait till the second innings to mark his debut wicket. Conceding 24 runs in 7 overs, he remained wicketless in his debut innings. As he never dreamt of a debut like this, destiny was set to surprise him with something else.
Agar scores 98 at number 11; the world stands still
As Ashton Agar ended his debut innings with disappointment, the game of cricket was destined to pay something big for his hard work. Batting in the first innings, Australia faced some deadly setbacks. Losing four wickets in 53 runs, Australia needed redemption, and Steve Smith played an innings of 53 runs.
England’s bowlers kept Australia on the back foot, leaving Philip Hughes searching for support. The rivals never even imagined how a number 11 player could become Australia’s biggest hope.
Coming to bat, Agar started dominating the English bowlers from the first ball. Taking over the control from the rivals, Agar scored a blazing half-century. England’s bowlers were left in a nightmare as Agar’s ruthless hitting continued to dominate the crease.
In the 65th over, Stuart Broad dismissed Ashton Agar in 98 as the bowler missed a well-deserved debut hundred by just two runs. Despite the near-miss, Agar’s heroics helped Australia post 280 in their first innings.
In that innings, Ashton Agar scored 98 runs in just 101 balls with 12 boundaries and two over-boundaries with a strike rate of 97.02. In the spectacle of red-ball drama, Agar brought red-ball excitement. From the tail, he turned the game on its head, leaving fans and critics alike in awe. In the history of the Ashes, his debut has been recorded as the most memorable one.
