5 Indian cricketers with the highest score on Test debut

Test match, the pinnacle format of the game, a format where your skills, your endurance, your tenacity and your entire being as a person is put to the sword.

Players want to turn up in whites for their country and when they do, often the feeling becomes too overbearing, they get lost in the moment and stutter, trip, and fail.

However, there have been instances when players have waddled into their debuts and without caring about the pressure, have made their presence felt.

Here in this article, we take a look at the top five efforts by Indian batsmen in Test match cricket.

#5 Surinder Amarnath

Surinder Amarnath was one of the brightest and best talents

If former cricketers and pundits are to be believed, Surinder Amarnath was one of the brightest and best talents to have emerged back in the day and was arguably one of the best going around in the world.

He was a child prodigy and was handed a debut after a sterling domestic season. After scoring a century in an unofficial Test match against Sri Lanka, Amarnath went on to get his official hundred a few months later against a potent New Zealand attack at Eden Park, Auckland.

The Kiwi attack was led by Sir Richard Hadlee and Amarnath who came in at number three did not show any signs of nerves laced 16 boundaries and one six in his innings of 124 runs.

His career fizzled out, but many believe that the left-hander was given a raw deal by the selectors and he could have been given a longer rope as he had the talent which could have been persisted with.

#4 Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly made the hallowed turf of Lord’s his own

The former Indian captain was drafted into the Indian side after he was looking for some sort of a recognition for four years.

England had posted 344 and Sourav Ganguly walked in at number three and was cautious, to begin with in order to suss the English conditions and bowling.

The left-hander slowly got into his groove and unfurled many of his trademark cover drives and clips off the hips. He was seldom beaten and the young man displayed a tremendous temperament.

With 20 boundaries to his name, Ganguly made the hallowed turf of Lord’s his own as he got to his century and carved his own name on the honour’s board.

#3 Gundappa Viswanath

Gundappa Viswanath was like an artist painting the canvas

A master with the wrists, a master with the willow, a master of the purest technique, Gundappa Viswanath was like an artist painting the canvas every time he stroked the ball.

India’s umbrella man right through the 1970’s the little man was always there to bail his team out of any precarious position.

He gave ample glimpse of his ability in his very first match against Australia in Kanpur.

Well, he was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and then he struck back with a defiant 137 in the second innings to steer India to a position of relative safety.

His innings oozed class as he carved 25 of the most pleasing boundaries.

#2 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma's Test sojourn started off with a bang

Rohit Sharma would have got a Test debut back in 2010 against South Africa but a foot-injury pushed this by three years and when it came against West Indies at the Eden Gardens in 2013.

His Test sojourn started off with a bang as he smashed 177 runs and shepherded the lower order batting with the dexterity which pushed India’s score to 453.

23 boundaries and a solitary six dotted his innings and it was perhaps befitting that he achieved his fate in the series Sachin Tendulkar was bidding adieu to the game.

He followed this debut century with another one at the Wankhede Groud in Mumbai. However, Rohit’s Test career has not quite taken off and his position in the Test side is forever under the scrutiny.

#1 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan scored the fastest hundred for a debutant

Much like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan had to wait to get his Test debut and when he did get in Mohali against Australia he made sure the world sits up and take notice.

He came into the match as a replacement for Virender Sehwag and smashed the Aussie bowling attack to all parts of the ground with the audacity of a veteran.

He scored the fastest hundred for a debutant and when he was eventually dismissed for 187, his efforts had sucked the momentum out of Michael Clarke’s team and India went on to register a series victory.

Dhawan’s innings was decorated with 33 boundaries and a couple of sixes and he faced a mere 174 balls for his 187 runs.