Stats: List of Indian players to score centuries on Test debut

Shreyas Iyer, who made his ODI and T20I debut for India in 2017, on Thursday (November 19) became the 303rd player to represent India in the longest format and how well did he grab the opportunity. On the second day morning of the first Test against New Zealand, Iyer reached his century and while doing so he became the 16th player for India to hit a ton on Test debut.

Shreyas, a familiar face in the limited-overs Indian team, looked set to play his first Test, beating the likes of Suryakumar Yadav who was also in the mix after KL got injured and was ruled out of the Kanpur Test. Iyer is 6th Indian batter to score a Test ton on debut in the 21^st century. Prithvi Shaw achieved was the last to achieve the milestone, three years back against West Indies in 2018.

India’s hit ODI opening duo Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma made their Test debuts in the same year in 2013 and both smashed a ton in the first match itself against Australia and West Indies respectively. Another white-ball specialist batter Suresh Raina achieved the feat against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka in 2010. Virender Sehwag was the first Indian to achieve the feat in the 21st century. He recorded a hundred against South Africa in 2001.

Shreyas Iyer became the 16th Indian to score century on Test debut

Often a reliable batter in limited-overs, Shreyas Iyer has grabbed his opportunity with both hands and is already looking a pretty solid middle-order player in the Test arena too. Iyer was 75* at the stumps on Day 1 and had laid a solid platform for his team to get to a big score in the first innings.

It was a composed innings by the Mumbai lad as he is known for his big hitting in the T20Is and in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Afer having kick-starting his Test career in a great fashion, Iyer would like to score more and cement his place in the middle-order now that Ajinkya Rahane’s place in under a threat again.

List of centuries by Indians on Test debut match: