List of Indian batsmen to hit a century (100) on debut in test cricket

17 Indian batsmen have scored a century on their debut in test cricket.

India have been one of the most successful teams in test cricket. One of the prime reasons for this is the batting power that India have produced over the years. This country has given some legendary batters to this game that have gone on to dominate in all parts of the world. The Men in Blue played their first test match in 1932 against England at Lord’s.

Since then, 312 players have represented India at the highest level. Some of them were batters, while others were bowlers. However, 17 Indian batters made their debut game special by scoring a hundred. And here we will talk about those players who scored a century on their test debut for India.

Here is the list of Indian batsmen to hit a century (100) on debut in test cricket:

1. Lala Amarnath:

Former Indian all-rounder Lala Amarnath was the first ever batter to reach the three-figure mark on test debut. He was also the 12th Indian player to make play for India in tests. His debut came against England in Mumbai in December 1933. However, England won that match by nine wickets, but Lala Amarnath registered his name in the record books with a brilliant 136 in India’s second innings.

2. Deepak Shodhan:

After the first debut century in 1933, it took India another 19 years to find a batsman hitting century on debut in test cricket. This came from the bat of Deepak Shodhan against the arch-rivals Pakistan. This match was played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The match ended in a draw. India made 257 and 236/7d, while Pakistan replied with 397 and 28/0. Deepak came out to bat at No. 8 and slammed 110. However, he only played three tests in his career.

3. A.G. Kripal Singh:

Former Indian batter A.G. Kripal Singh was the next Indian batter to score a ton on debut in test cricket. He played his first game against New Zealand in Hyderabad in November 1955. The game ended in a draw as India declared at 498/4 and New Zealand scored 326 and 212/2 in the game. There were three centuries in India’s inning, and Kripal Singh made 100 not out.

4. Abbas Ali Baig:

Abbas Ali Baig was the first Indian batter to score a debut test ton overseas. His first test came against England in Manchester in July 1959. India were struggling in that series and were coming off 3-0 into the fourth. Though they lost the fourth test as well, the visitors showed great courage and scored 376 runs while chasing 548. Baig scored a fighting 112 and was unfortunate to get run-out.

5. Hanumant Singh:

Hanumant Singh was the 108th player to represent India in test cricket. He played 14 tests, and his debut ton was the only hundred in his career. Hanumant played his first game against England in Delhi in 1964. India scored 344 and 463/4, and England made 451 as that game ended in a draw. In the first innings, Hanumant scored 105 and scored 23 in the second.

6. Gundappa Viswanath:

Gundappa Viswanath was one of the best batters produced by India in test cricket and he showed the glimpses in his debut game. He played his first game against Australia in Kanpur in November 1969 and it ended in a draw. Gundappa Viswanath was out for a duck in the first innings but he bounced back well with a gritty 137 in the second innings. He played 91 tests and scored 6080 runs with 14 centuries.

7. Surinder Amarnath:

Following in the footsteps of his father, Lala Amarnath, Surinder also slammed a debut ton in test cricket like his father. He made his test debut in Auckland against New Zealand in January 1976. India won that game by 8 wickets. Surinder scored 124 runs in the first innings to achieve this feat. But he couldn’t carry on and played only 10 tests and scored 550 runs.

8. Mohammad Azharuddin:

Mohammad Azharuddin was one of the best Indian captains in history. He had a pretty successful international career across formats and played between 1984 and 2000 for India. Azharuddin made his test debut against England at Eden Gardens and scored 110 in the first innings of a drawn game. He played 99 tests and scored 6215 runs including 22 centuries.

9. Pravin Amre:

A debut overseas century and MOTM is a pretty rare combination, and Pravin Amre did it in his short career. The right-hander made his test debut against South Africa in Durban in November 1992 against the likes of Allan Donald, Meyrick Pringle, and Brian McMillan. He scored 103 in tough conditions, helped India draw the game, and went on to win the Man of the Match award.

10. Sourav Ganguly:

Sourav Ganguly is one of the left-handed batters to represent India at the highest level. He was a smart tactician and a great leader. Ganguly played his first test against England at Lord’s in June 1996. India batted once only, and he scored 131, batting at No. 3. Ganguly retired with 16 centuries in 113 tests and 7212 runs.

11. Virender Sehwag:

Virender Sehwag was one of the most explosive batters that ever played test cricket. A strike rate of 82.23 even after playing more than 100 tests is just mind-boggling. Sehwag announced his arrival with a ton on his test debut against South Africa in Bloemfontein in November 2001. Batting at No. 6, he smashed a 179-ball 105 with 19 fours and followed it with a 36-ball 31. Sehwag retired with two triple centuries in test cricket.

12. Suresh Raina:

Suresh Raina was one of the finest white-ball batters for India and was also the first Indian to score a hundred in all three formats. Raina also started his test career brilliantly. He played his first test against Sri Lanka in July 2010 in Colombo and scored 120 runs in the only innings India batted. That game eventually ended in a draw. That was the only hundred for Raina in his 18-match test career.

13. Shikhar Dhawan:

Shikhar Dhawan has an incredible white-ball career, but his initial years in test cricket were also equally impressive. Dhawan holds the record for the highest individual score by an Indian batter on a test debut. The southpaw made his debut against Australia in Mohali and slammed an 85-ball ton, which is the fastest hundred by any batsman on test debut. He made 187 off 174, with 33 fours and two sixes. India won that game by six wickets, and he won the MOTM award.

14. Rohit Sharma:

Rohit Sharma needs no introduction to the game. He is certainly a modern-day great for India. Rohit made a remarkable test debut against West Indies at Eden Gardens in November 2013. He scored 177 runs in his debut innings and helped India win the match by an innings and 51 runs. Rohit scored another 111 not out against the same team in the very next game. Moreover, when he was asked to open in tests for the first time, he hit hundreds in both innings of the game.

15. Prithvi Shaw:

Prithvi Shaw made a remarkable test debut for India with a 99-ball fifty. The right-hander got his chance after some brilliant U19 and domestic seasons. He played his first test match against West Indies in Rajkot in 2018, which India won by an innings and 272 runs. India declared at 649/9 and dismissed West Indies for 181 and 196. Shaw made 134 off 154 balls with 19 fours and won the MOTM award.

16. Shreyas Iyer:

Shreyas Iyer was only the 16th Indian batter with a hundred on debut in test cricket. He made his debut against New Zealand in Kanpur in 2021. That match ended in a draw, but Iyer scored 50+ in both innings. In the first innings, he scored 105 runs, and in the second, he made 65 runs. As a result, he won the Man of the Match award.

17. Yashasvi Jaiswal:

Yashasvi Jaiswal is the most recent Indian batter with a century on debut in test cricket. It came overseas in a test match against West Indies in Roseau in July 2023. Jaiswal smashed a brilliant 171 runs, including 16 fours and one six at the top. India won that game by an innings and 141 runs, and Jaiswal was adjudged Man of the Match for his brilliant performance.

(List updated till 15th February, 2024)

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