May 17 (CRICKETNMORE) - Kevin O’Brien made the second best start in terms of rating points for batsmen from sides playing their first Test and the best by a batsman from a debutant side since the first ever Test 141 years ago, after a remarkable performance against Pakistan at Malahide in Dublin helped Ireland put up a resilient display.
The 34-year-old all-rounder produced a knock of 40 in the first innings and a valiant 118 in the second to help Ireland fight back after they were asked to follow-on, eventually losing by five wickets.
Kevin O’Brien’s 158 runs in the match helped him to enter the ICC Test Player Rankings in 66th place with a rating of 440 points.
Opener Charles Bannerman of Australia has the best rating of 447 points in a team’s debut Test, scoring 165 not out and four in the first ever cricket Test played between Australia and England in Melbourne in March 1877.
Aminul Islam of Bangladesh (432 in 2001) and David Houghton of Zimbabwe (431 in 1992) are third and fourth in the list.
