Stats: Stephen Cook becomes the 100th batsman to score a ton on Test Debut

After the home side lost the third Test on the trot and subsequently dethroned from the ‘Numero Uno’ status in Tests, they decided to call up veteran opener Stephen Cook.

He was handed the Test cap as the fourth Test started. He was replacing opener Stiaan van Zyl. And didn’t he grab the opportunity with both hands. He went on to become the 6^th South African and 100^th overall batsman to score a ton on Test debut. Interestingly the guy he replaced, van Zyl too is on this list of elites.

The 33 year old’s career coincided with numerous established openers such as the likes of Graeme Smith, Jacques Rudolph and Alviro Peterson who kept him out of the picture. Despite him scoring runs consistently at the domestic level, players like van Zyl and Tenda Bavuma were picked ahead of him.

Finally, when the opportunity knocked on his door in Centurion, he made it count. He laid out his grit and determination on showcase as he rallied along with Hashim Amla as they compiled 202 runs for the second wicket. He went on playing sensibly as he saw the ex-skipper bring up his century.

But there were some nervy moments for the debutant as he approached the prized three figure mark. In his 90’s he saw set batsman Amla depart as well as star player AB de Villiers fall for a duck. If this wasn’t enough to test his calm, the English asked for a referral against him when he was on 99 as he was rapped on the pads by one of Stokes’ deliveries. Luckily for him he survived that scare as the third umpire stuck with the on-field call of not out.

Cook held his nerve and eventually got to the milestone to mark a very special debut for himself. His innings certainly boosted his team’s spirits as they look to have something to show for themselves in the series.