Nic Maddinson’s return to Australia’s Test playing XI after nearly 10 years ended on a disappointing note on Friday, October 9. The 34-year-old batter failed to open his account in the first innings of the ongoing Test against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban, falling to Marco Jansen after facing 33 deliveries.
Jansen breached Maddinson’s defence on the second ball of the 11th over, bringing an end to the left-hander’s patient but unproductive stay at the crease. Although Maddinson showed determination to survive for 33 balls, his dismissal earned him an unwanted place in the record books.
The Australian opener now holds the record for facing the most deliveries by an Australian opening batter dismissed for a duck in a Test innings. Before Maddinson’s 33-ball duck, David Warner held the record after facing 22 balls without scoring against England in Hobart in January 2022.
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While Maddinson now holds the Australian record, the overall record for the longest duck by an opening batter in Test cricket belongs to New Zealand’s Darrin Murray. He faced 39 deliveries without scoring against Sri Lanka during a Test in Dunedin in March 1995.
Maddinson made his Test debut against South Africa in November 2016, but his previous appearance for Australia came against Pakistan in Melbourne in December that year. His return to the national side came after Australia had played 88 Test matches without him featuring in the playing XI.
Openers to face most balls for Australia to score a duck in a Test innings
| PLAYER | RUNS | BALLS | INNINGS | AGAINST | VENUE | START DATE |
| Nic Maddinson | 0 | 33 | 1 | South Africa | Durban | October 9, 2026 |
| David Warner | 0 | 22 | 1 | England | Hobart | January 14, 2022 |
| Shaun Marsh | 0 | 21 | 3 | India | Pune | February 23, 2017 |
| Sammy Jones | 0 | 20 | 2 | England | Sydney | February 10, 1888 |
| Usman Khawaja | 0 | 20 | 1 | South Africa | Lord’s | June 11, 2025 |
| Billy Murdoch | 0 | 19 | 2 | England | The Oval | September 6, 1880 |
| Bill Woodfull | 0 | 19 | 3 | England | Sydney | December 2, 1932 |
The lengthy gap between his two appearances has also placed Maddinson among the players who have missed the most consecutive Test matches for a team.
Before his comeback, England’s Gareth Batty held the world record after missing 142 Tests between appearances. India’s Jaydev Unadkat ranks second with 118, followed by England’s Martin Bicknell, who missed 114 matches. West Indies’ Floyd Reifer and Pakistan’s Younis Ahmed also feature prominently on the list.
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Maddinson’s 88-Test absence puts him alongside Pakistan’s Fawad Alam, who also missed 88 Tests between appearances. Although his comeback innings did not produce the runs he would have wanted, Maddinson’s return remains a significant milestone in his career. He will now look to put the disappointing duck behind him and make a stronger contribution in the remainder of the match.
