A teenage prodigy, Craig made his first-class debut for New South Wales in the last match of the 1951–52 Australian season, aged only 16.

The following summer, Craig earned comparisons to Don Bradman, generally regarded as the greatest batsman of all time, after becoming the youngest player to score a first-class double century, an unbeaten 213 against the touring South African team.

Having missed a season due to national service and university studies, Craig returned to first-class cricket in 1955–56, earning a place in the 1956 Ashes touring squad.

Aged 22 years and 194 days, Craig was, at the time, the youngest captain in Test history and led a team that critics dismissed as having no chance to a convincing 3–0 victory; his own batting form was poor, and he averaged less than 20.

[2] Shortly after Ian's birth in the rural town of Yass, John jokingly told friends that "Australia's second Don Bradman has just been born.

[2][3][5] Ian studied at North Sydney Boys High School,[3] and showed an aptitude for ball games from an early age.

Bradman had not played first-class cricket at the age of 17 and was 20 when he made his Test debut,[16] so Craig's quicker rise up the ranks caused much excitement.

[11] Craig top-scored in the second innings with 47, giving him exactly 100 runs for the match as Australia collapsed to be all out for 209 and conceded defeat by six wickets.

[3][26] However, his debut ended on a sour note as South Africa scored 4/297 to win by six wickets and level the series 2–2.

This placed him fourth among Australian batsmen for the season in terms of run-scoring, with only leading Test batsman Neil Harvey averaging higher.

[25] At a reception at the start of the tour, British judge and cricket enthusiast Lord Birkett said: "If I know the English as I think I do, every Mother in the land will pray for him.

[34] Craig estimated that bus journeys to matches proceeded at an average speed of 16 km/h because of persistent stoppages outside pubs, something that frustrated the non-drinkers.

[11] His tour began to improve in late June,[11] when he made consecutive half-centuries against Yorkshire and Gloucestershire before breaking through in a match against Somerset.

[7][15][19][21][42] In a move regarded as surprising,[43] the 21-year-old Craig, rather than Richie Benaud, replaced the retired Miller as state captain and staked his claim to be a part of Australia's long-term future with a consistent season in which he scored 521 runs at an average of 47.36, with two centuries.

The leading contender for the captaincy was 28-year-old Victorian Neil Harvey, who had been a regular member of the team for eight years and was the senior batsman.

[48] It was seen as a bold move,[7][21] as Craig had only played six Tests, was far from being a regular member of the team and had only a year of captaincy at first-class level.

[49] An angry Harvey struck 209 in five hours,[49] but Craig scored 45 and 93 to help secure a draw and therefore win the Sheffield Shield.

[7][21] Personal skills were seen as important in an era when captains were expected to make many after-dinner speeches at functions on tours, especially to England.

[7][21] Ray Robinson opined that "a sincere nature and unassuming manner" reduced the risk of team friction in the rebuilding phase and that Craig was "level headed and tactful beyond his years.

[55][56] Craig joined his team in Johannesburg after flying in from London, where he had been working for six months as a pharmacist, with the approval of the Australian board.

"[55] Some players remained resentful of Craig's dubious elevation but appreciated that he had not promoted himself and that he was fair and open to input from teammates.

With Lindwall dropped,[52] the pace attack was led by Alan Davidson,[58] who at the time had managed only 16 Test wickets in 12 matches.

[61] The Australian skipper again struggled with the bat in the Second Test in Cape Town, making a duck, but this was overlooked by the media as his team won by a decisive innings margin.

[11] In the Fourth Test at Johannesburg, Craig promoted Benaud ahead of him in the batting order, feeling that flexibility in the team interest was paramount.

[64] Craig failed to pass 20 in the Fifth Test as Australia won again to take a creditable 3–0 series win, something highly unexpected at the beginning of the tour.

He then scored 83 as New South Wales defeated the touring West Indians by an innings and 97 runs, but he was overlooked for Test selection.

[11] New South Wales won six consecutive matches to seal another title,[11][45] but Craig found himself under increasing pressure for his place in the state team; with no internationals that season, all the Test players were available, which put his position under threat.

[7][31] During his first tour to England, Craig had difficulty with off cutters bowled by pacemen and eschewed the hook shot,[31] but after his comeback from illness, he transformed himself into an opening batsman, earning praise for his performances against the express pace of Wes Hall and Ian Meckiff.

Craig joined the Australian subsidiary of the British pharmaceutical firm Boots, rising to the position of managing director.

[75] One of the most controversial incidents during this time occurred in 1977–78 during the period of the breakaway World Series Cricket, which wanted to install floodlights at the SCG.