A century in a Test match generally signifies the apex of a batsman’s career from an individualistic standpoint for many batsmen. Some batsmen will have to wait a while before scoring their first Test century, others will be able to do it early in their careers. We’ll take a look at those who didn’t have to wait long to get their first hundred, and who are among the top five youngest centurions in Test history.
1. Mohammad Ashraful
At 17 years and 61 days old, the former Bangladesh skipper became the youngest Test player to make a century. After being knocked down for 90 in their first innings of the second Test of the 2001 Asian Test Championship in Colombo, and Sri Lanka posting a mammoth 555 in their first innings, debutant Mohammad Ashraful showed off his prowess in the tourists’ second innings. In the second innings, the right-hander batted a spirited and stubborn century on a challenging surface as Bangladesh collapsed after collecting 328 runs, giving Sri Lanka an innings and 137-run victory. Ashraful, a teenage batsman, smashed 16 boundaries on his way to a hard-fought 114.
2. Mushtaq Mohammad
Just after his 101 for Pakistan during their tour of India in 1961, Mushtaq Mohammad held the distinction for being the youngest Test century player for the longest time. After the toss win, they elected to bat, the hosts scored 463 in their first innings. In response, Pakistan scored 286 runs in their first innings, with Mushtaq top-scoring with 101 runs and 19 fours. He was 17 years and 78 days old at the time, and he also scored 22 runs in the tourists’ second innings as they were bowled out for 250 runs. No doubt that the game ended in a draw, Mushtaq will remember it fondly.
3. Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar, then a teenager, broke Mushtaq’s record 29 years later. When he struck 68 in India’s first innings of the second Test of their 1990 tour of England, the Indian legend gave the cricketing world a glimpse into his genius. Tendulkar broke Mushtaq’s 29-year record with his 68, which helped India score 432 after the hosts had posted 519 in the first innings. However, it was in India’s second innings, when they were chasing a target of 408, that Tendulkar broke Mushtaq’s record. He was awarded as the Man of the Match after scoring an unbeaten 119 at 17 years and 107 days, putting on a 160-run partnership with Manoj Prabhakar to preserve the Test.
4. Hamilton Masakadza
Zimbabwean Hamilton Masakadza, just one player from outside of the Indian subcontinent on this list, hit his first Test tonne at the age of 17 years and 352 days. The foreigner scored 347 in their very first innings after Zimbabwe was bowled out for just 131 in the first innings of the second Test of the West Indies’ tour of the African nation in 2001, leaving the hosts with their backs to the wall. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, fared much better in the second innings, with Masakadza starring with 119 runs as the match finished in a draw.
5. Imran Nazir
The flamboyant right-handed batsman is best known for his explosiveness in one-day internationals, but few people are aware that he is Pakistan’s second-youngest Test centurion. Imran Nazir smashed 20 glorious fours and scored 131 runs with a strike rate of 72.77 in the second Test of Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies in 2000. He was 18 years and 154 days old when he hit the century, but he never lived up to his full potential, playing only eight Tests for Pakistan in his career.