A player scoring a ton on his debut match must be praiseworthy because handling such a pressure and showing an extraordinary level of confidence is rare in the very first match. That’s why in almost 140 years of cricketing history only 101 players have been able to do this miracle in Test cricket.
This phenomenon of scoring a ton by a debutant was first experienced when Charles Bannerman of Australia scored 165* against England on the first international test match to be ever played on 15th march 1877. The match was won by Australia and history was made that day. Then after almost 26 years in 1903, the record of Bannerman of 165* on debut match was broken by RE Foster of England who scored 287 runs against Australia. The record still stands as the highest runs ever made by an individual on his debut match. Till date there had been 19 players each from England and Australia who made it to the list.
India, as one of the colony of England, played its maiden Test cricket on June 25, 1932 and on 15th December 1933 one of the great players of India, Lala Amarnath, became a part of this legacy. He scored 118 runs against England. Thereafter, there have been 13 other Indian players who have registered their names on this list. Former Indian captains such as Sourav Ganguly, Mohd Azharrudin and Gundappa Vishwanath are in the list. Shikhar Dhawan scored the highest 187 for India, which is also the 6th highest debut total internationally.
Let’s take a look at the Indian players who have scored century on their debut match:
1) LALA AMARNATH
It was a bright Sunday morning at Bombay when the first ever Test cricket started on the Indian soil. It was a historical day on December 15 when Nanik ‘Lala’ Amarnath Bharadwaj playing for colonised India under the captaincy of CK Nayudu in year 1933-34 scored a ton on his debut. Although India lost that match by nine wickets but Lala Amarnath played a magnificent inning of 118 runs.
2) DEEPAK SHODHAN
The next player to score ton on his debut match was Deepak Shodhan against Pakistan at Eden Gardens. The year was 1952 when India under the captaincy of Lala Amarnath bowled out Pakistan for 257 and lost their six wickets for 179 runs. The man of that day, Shodhan, came in for batting at number 8 and scored 110 runs. It was because of him that India managed to put 397 runs on the board to save the day. The match ended in a draw but India that day earned an outstanding player.
3) KRIPAL SINGH
Three years later in 1955, it was a test match against New Zealand at Hyderabad. It was a match of new records for India. First one came from the highest third wicket partnership, second from the highest runs scored by an Indian player and third one by the debutant Kripal Singh who registered himself as the third player for India to score a ton in a debut match. He reached his century by playing a magnificent straight drive off Tony MacGibbon.
4) ABBAS ALI BAIG
It was the test match between India and England to be played at Old Trafford England in 1959. India were already way behind in the series. It was the fourth match and England were leading the series by 3-0. Abbas Ali Baig was brought into the team as a replacement for injured Vijay Manjrekar. He scored 26 runs in his first inning and India was bowled out for 208 runs. England then set an impossible target of 548 for India and gave India 2 days to play. Half of the Indian players had already returned to the pavilion at the score of 273. Baig, who came at third position, partnered with Nadkarni for the 6th wicket and pulled out a ferocious century. Baig lost his wicket at 321 runs on the board and then the entire team was bowled out at 376. He became the first player to score a debut century overseas and also the youngest player to do this miracle.
5) HANUMANT SINGH
Hanumant Singh made his debut in Delhi in 1963 under the captaincy of ‘Tiger’ Pataudi. It was the fourth match of the series against England. He came to bat when India was 116-3. From there he took the score to 300+ by scoring a magnificent 105 runs and eventually got caught and bowled by John Mortimore. As they say, it was in his blood to score a ton on debut match since his great uncle KS Ranjitsinhji and uncle KS Duleepsinhji were the first two players of Indian origin to score century on a debut match. They had however scored it for England.
6) GUNDAPPA VISHWANATH
A man entitled himself with numerous records on his very first match. India got a great test player on a sunny day at Kanpur in 1969 at a match against Australia. Gundappa Vishwanath was the debutant to score the highest runs. He was out on a duck in first inning and then scored 137 runs to save the match for India. He was also the only player that time to score centuries in his first two consecutive matches.
7) SURINDAR AMARNATH
The time was changing for Indian cricket team. Great players were becoming the part of the team. In year 1975, a test series against New Zealand, the son of great Lala Amarnath, Surindar Amarnath played his first test match. He was the only son debutant to continue his father legacy by scoring 124 runs. It was the first match where a debutant scoring a century resulted in win for India.
8) MOHD. AZHARUDDIN
A year after the World Cup win, India played a test series against England. It was the third match of the series at Eden Gardens in Calcutta. The future Indian captain Mohd Azharuddin was making a debut. He scored 110 runs and was the only player from India to score three consecutive test centuries in his next two matches at Madras and Kanpur.
9) PRAVIN AMRE
India’s first test match against South Africa started at a dramatic note at Kingsmead in 1992. The host scored 254 runs in the first inning. Indian opening shattered and then debutant Pravin Amre came to bat when India were 38-4. It was the first match ever to use third umpire decision which claimed Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket. Amre led a recovery of sorts with Azharuddin and they added 78 but India finished 128-6 at the end of the day. It was considered as the greatest century by an Indian debutant. Amre finally partnered with Kiran More and they both grinded on an exemplary display of obdurate batting tiring the four-pronged fast bowling attack of South Africa. He scored 103 runs against the team playing its first test match.
10) SOURAV GANGULY
It was the time for another future captain to score a century on his debut match. It was the second test match of the series against England at Lord’s in 1996. After losing the first match, captain Azharuddin dropped Sanjay Manjrekar and gave chance to two young players Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid. Both of them were playing their debut match and both showed splendid batting talent. Ganguly scored 113 runs and picked up 3 wickets whereas Dravid fell short of 5 runs to score his debut century. Ganguly was the only player from India to score a ton and to pick wickets on a debut match.
11) VIRENDAR SEHWAG
There is nothing better than playing a remarkable inning with your idol and that too in the very first match. It was a match against South Africa at Bloemfontein in 2001 and India was struggling against the South African pacers. Tourists were 68-5 when debutant Virendra Sehwag came to the crease. Standing on a non-striker end was his idol Sachin Tendulkar. The two then together put an exemplary display of batting and contributing 220 runs together. Sehwag scored 105 runs in 173 balls that included 19 boundaries. Although India lost the match by nine wickets, it gained a batsman that changed the definition of opening batting.
12) SURESH RAINA
Suresh Raina scored his debut test hundred at Colombo in 2010 against Sri Lanka. The host team scored 642 runs in first inning. India then made 707 runs with Sachin contribution 203 runs off his bat and his partner, Raina, the debutant, scored 120 runs off 228 deliveries. Raina is the only player from India to score centuries in all the three formats of the game.
13) SHIKHAR DHAWAN
India in 2012 at Mohali against Australia witnessed the highest individual score for India in a test debut and sixth highest internationally. India was leading the series by 2-0 and was heading for a clean sweep. If Amre’s was the best test debut hundred than it was the most outrageous one. Shikhar Dhawan smashed every bowler in every corner of the ground. His fifty came up in just 50 balls with 12 fours and 85 balls hundred with 21 fours and 150 came off eventually in 131 balls with 29 fours and a six. He made 187 runs off 174 balls which is highest runs scored by an Indian on his debut match. India won the match by 6 wickets and whitewashed Australia by 3-0.
14) ROHIT SHARMA
He played over hundred ODIs before making debut in test cricket. He is known as the “Hitman” of India. Rohit Gurunath Sharma made his debut century against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. In year 2013, two players made their debut in a match. Both turned out to be the most successful player in that match. Rohit scored 177 runs off 301 ball whereas Mohd. Shami took 5-wickets for 47 runs. India won the match on the third day itself. This is the only example of two debutants one scoring a ton and other taking 5-wickets haul for India.
