Captaincy comes with its own set of expectations. And when you are leading for the first time, it adds another layer of pressure.
While the team’s performance is central for a captain, one can’t ignore their personal performance, be it with the bat or ball. So a few batters showed their leading-from-the-front mentality right in their debut Test captaincy match.
The batters in question racked up centuries in their first Test match as captains, making solid statements.
On that note, we’ll look at the Indian batters who scored centuries on their Test captaincy debut.
1. Vijay Hazare | 164* vs England, 1951
The first name on the list is that of Vijay Hazare. He was a legend in Indian first-class cricket.
Hazare’s Test debut came a year earlier than India’s independence, but he led the team for the first time in 1951. It was the first Test of the historic 1951/52 series against England in Delhi.
With India two down on 64, Hazare stabilised the innings with his unbeaten 164-run knock. His 164 remains the highest score on Test captaincy debut for India.
Hazare’s effort helped India take the first innings lead as they declared on 418 for six. While the match ended in a draw, India went on to win their first Test under Hazare’s leadership in Chennai.
2. Sunil Gavaskar | 116 vs New Zealand, 1976
Almost 24 years later, Sunil Gavaskar joined Hazare on this elite list. While Gavaskar had proven his mettle as a batter, he began his captaincy tenure with a match-defining hundred.
Opening the innings against New Zealand in Auckland, he lost his partner quickly. That must’ve put more pressure on him.
But Gavaskar came out with flying colours. He jotted down 116 runs to help India reach 414 and take a decisive lead, which eventually materialised in a win.
3. Dilip Vengsarkar | 102 vs West Indies, 1987
Dilip Vengsarkar, who made his Test debut in Gavaskar’s debut captaincy match in 1976, would go on to emulate Gavaskar’s feat 11 years later.
Vengsarkar had taken over from Kapil Dev in late 1987. His first captaincy assignment was against the dominant West Indies.
India were all out for 75 in the first innings. But then India fought back in the second essay, riding on Vengsarkar’s century.
He brought up 102 to propel India to a 276-run lead. Vengsarkar’s efforts, though, weren’t enough to secure a win for India.
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4. Virat Kohli | 115 & 141 vs Australia, 2014
Virat Kohli is perhaps the finest Test captain India have ever had. And his captaincy start gave a glimpse of his mindset.
While Kohli was yet to become the full-time Test skipper, he played like a responsible leader. Unlike the other captains on this list, Kohli dished out twin hundreds against Australia in Adelaide.
He produced a captain’s knock of 115 to lead India’s fightback in the first innings. Then, in a 364-run chase, he scored 141 runs when most batters failed to get a big score.
While India fell short of the target, Kohli’s twin centuries showed his eagerness to fight in any situation.
5. Shubman Gill | 147 vs England, 2025
Shubman Gill became the latest entrant on this list. There were doubts about Gill’s captaincy in the longer format, but he proved everyone wrong.
After being two down on 92 in the first innings, Gill produced a fine knock against England’s attack. He scored 147 runs with the help of 19 fours and a six.
Gill’s knock helped keep the critics’ mouths shut as he answered them back in style on his Test captaincy debut.
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