by Abhishek Mukherjee

Australia had taken a 1-0 lead in the Ashes before Botham had turned the tables on them. Now with Thomson, Lawson, Rackemann, Hogg, and Pascoe all injured, they were left with only Lillee and Alderman.

Mike Whitney, 22, had played only four matches for NSW the previous winter. He was now playing his third match for Gloucestershire, against Hampshire at Cheltenham.

But soon after Gloucestershire began their innings, there was a call for Whitney at the ground. It was Fred Bennett, the Australian manager. He asked Whitney to report to Old Trafford immediately. Whitney obliged, and was replaced by Sadiq Mohammad for the rest of the Test.

His conversation with Kim Hughes had a surreal touch to it.

Hughes: Congratulations. I need you to bowl a good line and length tomorrow.
Whitney: What do you mean?
Hughes: Haven’t they told you? You’re playing in the Test tomorrow!

Whitney shared room with Lillee that night. He got his cap and jumper next day. It was only his eighth First-Class match (including the unfinished Hampshire match).

Then, after Lillee and Alderman had a go, the moment arrived: “Kim Hughes said this was it. I did all the stretches and limbering up for the cameras. Waved to my mum in Australia.”

Whitney bowled his first ball in Test cricket. Tavare played the ball to square-leg and the skies poured, with the players having to come off.

He did not do too poorly on debut (2/50 and 2/74).
Mike Whitney made his Test debut on 12 Aug 1981, under such rather unusual circumstances.