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You can make a hundred on one day but the next time you step on the crease, you have to start from zero.
There is always that desperation to score first runs as soon as possible, but sometimes you have to wait longer and longer.
Let see some of the players who spend some considerable time on the crease before scorecard replaced 0 from their score :-
1) Glenn Turner from New Zealand holds the record for facing the most dot balls without scoring a run in an ODI innings. In 1975, he took 201 deliveries to open his account against East Africa.
Turner had to face medium pace and spin bowlers like Frasat Ali, Jawahir Shah,Zulfiqar Ali and Parbhu Nana. Eventually, he scored an impressive 171 runs off 201 balls, contributing to New Zealand’s victory by a margin of 181 runs.
2) John Murray, the former wicketkeeper batsman from England, holds the record for facing the most dot balls without scoring a run in a Test innings.
He achieved this feat by taking 79 deliveries before opening his account.
Murray took 79 deliveries before he managed to score his first run against West Indies at Lord’s in 1966. Batting at number eight, he had to face the challenging pace and swing of Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Garry Sobers and Lance Gibbs. In the end, he contributed 15 runs from 102 balls, playing a crucial role in helping England secure a draw in the match.
3) Cheteshwar Pujara, the Indian cricketer, is reputed for his strong technique and composed temperament. Interestingly, he holds the record for facing the most deliveries by a top order batsman before scoring his first run since 2001.
In a match against South Africa in Johannesburg in 2018, Pujara took 53 balls to open his account. His challenge was intensified by an impressive bowling attack comprising Vernon Philander, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel and Lungi Ngidi. Eventually, he went on to score 50 runs off 179 balls and played a crucial role in India’s victory.
4) Another Indian batsman who experienced a slow start to his Test innings is Rahul Dravid. During a match against Australia at Melbourne in 2007, Dravid faced 40 deliveries before getting off the mark. Batting at number three, he encountered the likes of Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg. Eventually scoring 16 runs off 114 balls,
Dravid formed an important partnership with Sachin Tendulkar.
5) Geoff Boycott, the former opening batsman from England, had gained notoriety for his defensive and cautious style of play. However, there were instances where he took quite a while to get his innings going.
A notable occurrence took place during a match against India at Leeds in 1967. Boycott faced a total of 38 deliveries before finally scoring his first run. It was a challenging situation as he encountered the spin duo of Bishan Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna, who were causing trouble for the English batsmen with their skillful variations.
In ODI and Test cricket, these are some of the players who took the most balls to score their first run. They demonstrated tremendous perseverance and tenacity in overcoming their first challenges and contributing to the cause of their team.
They also demonstrated that slow and steady wins the race.
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