4 Indian batsmen who scored a century in their first Test as opener
Test cricket is generally considered the hardest format of cricket because of the amount of physical endurance and mental strength required to remain fit and focused for five days. Getting a spot in the national Test squad is a watershed moment for any player, especially if it comes as a reward for consistent performances in the domestic circuit.
Opening the batting is probably the toughest job in modern-day Test cricket, as evidenced by the statistics from the last few years. The new ball bowlers have dominated this format in recent times, mainly due to the lack of technique and experience against good old-fashioned swing bowling.
A combination of temperament and cool head is needed to score big in your very first game as an opener in Test match cricket. Many batsmen do not get the desired results when first thrust into the role, while a few impress in their first go itself.
In this article, we look at four Indian batsmen who scored a century in their first Test match as an opener:
#4 Rohit Sharma (176 vs South Africa)
The latest addition to this list is India’s white-ball champion Rohit Sharma. KL Rahul was having a terrible time in red-ball cricket and Prithvi Shaw was not available for selection so Rohit, who is arguably the best opener of this generation in limited-overs cricket, was asked to open in the ongoing Test series against South Africa.
Test cricket is very different from ODI and T20 cricket, which made people skeptical about Rohit's success. But he responded in fine fashion to prove the doubters wrong.
Rohit played cautiously in the beginning, did a good job of seeing off the new ball. Once he got set, he did not take time to start attacking the bowlers. South African off-spinner Dane Piedt came in for special attention as he was hammered mercilessly.
Rohit ended up with 176 and stitched together an excellent opening stand with Mayank Agarwal, who went on to score a double-century in the same innings.
The right-hander followed this knock with an exemplary ton in the second innings. Rohit smashed 33 fours and 13 sixes in the entire match, leaving nobody in doubt of his intentions.
The twin centuries by Rohit played a major part in India's win. The Mumbai-born player, who had also scored a hundred on his Test debut, bagged the ‘Man of the Match’ award for his worthy contribution.
Also see – World Test Championship Schedule