Top 5 innings by a teenager in Test history

S Sam
Doug Walters
Doug Walters

Scoring a Test century is a brilliant accomplishment regardless of the age of the player. However, it cannot be denied that players who are more experienced and more battle-hardened have a bit of an advantage in this regard since they know the many pitfalls associated when it comes to playing a brilliant innings in the longest format of the game.

Hence, it is perhaps easy to realise how tough it must be for a teenager to play a long innings in Test cricket. Displaying the patience, skill and temperament to score a century at such a young age is an achievement in itself. There have not been too many teenagers who have played such innings in Test cricket. Here is a look at 5 of the finest.


#5 Doug Walters 155 v England at Brisbane, 19 years 354 days

The former Australian great who went on to become one of the great middle-order batsmen of his time was a teen prodigy and was selected to play for the national team in the 1965 Ashes, while he was still only 19. Walters was one of the most compulsive stroke-makers in the Australian team and believed in taking on the bowlers as much as possible.

As a 19-year-old, he was probably far more attacking in nature and on his debut in the first Test of the Ashes at Brisbane in 1965, he showed he belonged to the biggest stage. Walters came in to bat at number 6 and made a brilliant 155 against an experienced England attack consisting of Fred Titmus and David Allen among others.

He hit 11 boundaries and smashed 2 sixes to make his debut a memorable one and there is no doubt that it is one of the best Test innings ever played by a teenager. The match ended in a draw.

#4 Javed Miandad 163 v New Zealand at Lahore, 19 years 119 days

Javed Miandad (file photo)
Javed Miandad (file photo)

He is one of the greatest batsmen to have played the game and certainly among the finest who have ever played for Pakistan, which is why perhaps it is not a surprise that Javed Miandad announced his arrival on the big stage with a century on debut. More importantly, when he made that century, he was still only 19 and that innings remains one of the finest opening acts in modern Test cricket history.

On his debut, Miandad batted at number 5 for Pakistan and came in to bat when Pakistan had been reduced to 44 for 3 by the peerless Richard Hadlee. However, the debutant showed no nerves and scored an outstanding century. What is even more remarkable is the fact that even though it was his debut and he was only 19, he did not get carried away after crossing the landmark.

Miandad scored what is called a 'big hundred' and made 163 to put the game in Pakistan's grasp. He hit 19 boundaries in his masterful knock and eventually Pakistan won the game by 6 wickets. Miandad was not out on 25 in the second innings as Pakistan chased down a small total.

#3 Graeme Pollock 122 v Australia at Sydney, 19 years 317 days

Graeme Pollock
Graeme Pollock

He was probably the finest left-handed batsman to have ever played the game and had it not been for the boycott, South African legend Graeme Pollock could have ended up as one of the game's true greats. He showed what he could do in the 23 Test matches that he played and the signs were quite apparent in his debut series in Australia in 1963-64.

Responding to Australia's 260 in the 1st innings of the third Test match at Sydney, South Africa found themselves in trouble at 58 for 2. That is when 19-year-old Graeme Pollock got together with captain and opening batsman Trevor Goddard to rescue the team and in the process, played one of the best Test innings by a teenager in history.

He played strokes all around the wicket and his impeccable timing must have made the bowlers realise that they were bowling to someone who was clearly a great batsman in the making. He made 122 and hit as many as 19 boundaries, along with a solitary six to help South Africa take the first innings lead. The match ended in a draw.

#2 Mohammad Ashraful 114 v Sri Lanka at Colombo (SSC), 17 years 61 days

Ashraful became the youngest ever cricketer to score a Test century
Ashraful became the youngest ever cricketer to score a Test century

When Bangladesh became a Test-playing nation in 2000, the team struggled against the established countries but there was one player who was regarded as the future of their batting line-up. It was teenage sensation Mohammad Ashraful and he showed why, when he slammed a superb century against Sri Lanka in the first Test at Colombo back in 2001. At the time, Sri Lanka was one of the toughest places to tour for any team and with Muralitharan and his fellow spinners hunting in packs, it made the lives of most batsmen quite uncomfortable.

Ashraful, however, looked unfazed. Bangladesh had been dismissed for 90 in their first innings and after Sri Lanka declared for 555, the match was supposed to go only one way. However, the 17-year-old provided an exhibition of attacking batting. He came in to bat at number 6 and took on all the bowlers to score 114, which included 16 boundaries.

In the process, Ashraful became the youngest ever cricketer to score a Test century. Muralitharan was awarded the man of the match but he gave away the award to the young Bangladeshi as a recognition for his stupendous effort.

#1 Sachin Tendulkar 119 not out v England at Manchester, 17 years 107 days

17 year old Sachin Tendulkar walks off to a standing ovation after rescuing his team at Old Trafford.
17-year-old Sachin Tendulkar walks off to a standing ovation after rescuing his team at Old Trafford

There has probably never been a bigger teenage star in international cricket than Sachin Tendulkar and when he scored his first century in Test cricket, he also became the 2nd youngest batsman to score a hundred in the longest format. After having played catch up throughout the Test match, India had to bat out the last day to avoid a defeat and they seemed to have botched it up when Tendulkar came in to bat with the scoreboard reading 109 for 4.

Soon it was 127 for 5 but the 17-year old showed no signs of anxiety and played an innings of such class that the English bowlers could not make much of a dent on India's march towards a well-earned draw. Tendulkar's technique, his levels of concentration and timely boundaries did not allow the bowlers to settle. He remained not out at 119 (17 boundaries) and walked out to a standing ovation at Old Trafford.

Check RCB Squad 2024 Details. Follow Sportskeeda for IPL 2024 Live Score, Schedule, Points Table

Quick Links

Edited by Sankalp Srivastava