Chawla 2nd youngest to play for India

The spinner became the second youngest cricketer to play for India on Thursday.

Piyush Chawla on Thursday became the second youngest cricketer to play for India when he stepped on to the field in the second Test against England at the PCA on Thursday.

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The Uttar Pradeshi leg spinner, 17 years and 75 days old, ranks behind Sachin Tendulkar who made his debut at the age of 16 years and 205 days against Pakistan in 1989-90.

Chawla, however, heads the list of slow bowlers to have played for India including Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Maninder Singh.

The Indian is 16th on the all-time list topped by Pakistani Hasan Raza who played his first Test when he was 14 years and 227 days against Zimbabwe in 1996-97.

Youngest Test debutants for India (read under age, player's name, debut against, venue and year): S Tendulkar (16 years 205 days vs Pak, Karachi, 1989-90), P Chawla (17 years and 75 days vs Eng, Mohali, 2005-06), L Sivaramakrishnan (17 years and 118 days vs WI, Antigua, 1983), Maninder Singh (17 years and 193 days vs Pak, Karachi, 1982-83), V Mehra (17 years and 265 days vs NZ, Mumbai, 1955-56), AG Milkha Singh (18 years and 13 days vs Aus, Chennai, 1959-60), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (18 years and 249 days vs Eng, Mumbai, 1963-64), Ravi Shastri (18 years and 270 days vs NZ, 1981), Chetan Sharma (18 years and 288 days vs Pak, Lahore, 1984-85), S Venkataraghavan (18 years and 312 days vs NZ, Chennai, 1964-65), Mushtaq Ali (19 years and nine days vs Eng, Kolkata, 1933-34), 19, 85 Narendra Hirwani (19 years and 85 days vs WI, Chennai, 1987-88), Mohinder Amarnath (19 years and 91 days vs Aus, Chennai, 1969-70) and P Bhandari (19 years and 106 days vs Pak Karachi, 1956).