On this day in 2018, Shikhar Dhawan etched his name in the record books by becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century in the first session of Day 1 of a Test match. This remarkable feat was achieved during Afghanistan’s inaugural Test match. After winning the toss, India chose to bat first, and openers Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay displayed a brilliant partnership, both scoring centuries.
Dhawan registered his century before lunch and joined an elite group of players, including Victor Trumper, Charles Macartney, Don Bradman, Majid Khan, and David Warner, who have achieved this unique distinction. By lunchtime, Dhawan had amassed a spectacular 104 runs off just 91 balls, including 19 fours and 3 sixes. It is worth noting that Dhawan had only run 10 of those runs, highlighting his boundary-hitting prowess.
This accomplishment gains even more significance when considering the historical context. The first three instances of scoring a century in the first session of a Test match occurred before the Second World War, making Dhawan only the third player in the past 80 years to achieve this feat.
Dhawan’s century in the first session surpassed the previous record held by Virender Sehwag, who scored 99 runs against West Indies in Gros Islet in 2006. Sehwag, known for his aggressive batting style, holds three of the top five spots on this list. Completing the illustrious group is Farokh Engineer, who scored 94 runs before lunch against West Indies in Chennai in 1966-67.
Notably, Dhawan is no stranger to scoring over 100 runs in a single session. He achieved this feat on his debut against Australia in 2012-13, smashing 106 runs in the second session of the third day. In a Test match against Sri Lanka last year, Dhawan blazed his way to 126 runs In the second session of the first day in Galle. Only the legendary Don Bradman has surpassed Dhawan’s record, achieving this feat on six occasions. Trumper, Wally Hammond, and Sehwag have also accomplished this remarkable feat three times in their respective careers.
Dhawan, who is currently out of the Indian Test squad, has featured in 34 Test matches. He has scored 2,315 runs at an average of 40.61 and a strike rate of 66.95. During his Test career, he has notched up seven centuries and five half-centuries, with his highest score being 190. Dhawan last played a Test match for India in September 2018.