Prithvi Shaw became the youngest Indian to make a century on his Test debut on day one of the first Test against West Indies in Rajkot. Shaw, 18, reached his hundred off just 99 balls to surpass the record of Abbas Ali Baig.
#CORRECTION | @PrithviShaw becomes seventh youngest test centurion and fourth youngest to score a ton on debut Test. https://t.co/L6h8eeHmPf
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Prithvi Shaw, the opener is also the fourth youngest player of all time to hit a debut ton and the second youngest Indian to make a Test century after Sachin Tendulkar. He eventually fell for 134, including 19 fours, as India closed on 364-4.
After KL Rahul fell lbw to Shannon Gabriel for a duck, Shaw and Cheteshwar Pujara (86) added 206 for the second wicket. Grenada fast bowler Sherman Lewis, also making his international debut, had Pujara caught behind for his maiden Test wicket before Shaw was caught and bowled by Devendra Bishoo.
Following this, India captain Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane shared a century stand until the latter was caught behind off Roston Chase for 41. Kohli batted through to the close to finish unbeaten on 72, with Rishabh Pant 17 not out, as India dominated the opening day of the two-Test series. Baig was 20 years 131 days old when he made a century on his debut against England at Old Trafford in 1959, with Shaw 18 years 329 days old.
All-time leading Test run-scorer Tendulkar, to whom Shaw has been compared, was 17 years 112 days old when he hit his first Test century against England at Old Trafford in 1990 – on his ninth Test appearance. Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Ashraful is the youngest debut Test centurion, with Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza and Pakistan’s Salim Malik the other two players to achieve the feat at a younger age than Shaw.
