3 youngest centurions in Test cricket
A hundred-plus score in a Test match frequently serves as the career high point for many batters from an individualistic perspective. While for some batters, it takes them a very long time to get to their maiden ton, some luckily manage to achieve the feat very early in their career. On that note, here are the three youngest centurions in Test history:
3. Sachin Tendulkar – 17y 107d, vs England in 1990
There are very few batting records where Sachin Tendulkar’s name is missing. Tendulkar made his Test debut in November 1989, at the young age of 16 years, but it wasn’t until his ninth Test that he reached his first Test century. When he hit his first Test hundred at the age of 17 years and 107 days, he became the then second-youngest player ever to score a Test double ton. When India was chasing 408 on the final day in the fourth innings in Manchester, he struck an incredible 119* after contributing 68 in the first innings that helped India tie the match.
2. Mushtaq Mohammad – 17y 78d, vs India in 1961
Mushtaq Mohammad made his Test debut in 1959 at the age of 15d. At the time, he became the youngest Test debutant. The right-hander had a slow start to his career; Mushtaq Mohammad didn’t make headlines until his fifth Test game. In 1961, in the second Test of the series against India, he notched up 101 runs and became the format’s youngest centurion. Before Mushtaq stepped outside to bat at No. 6 and struck 101, India had reduced Pakistan to 89/4 after scoring 463 runs while batting first. For nearly 40 years, he held the distinction for being the youngest Test centurion.
1. Mohammad Ashraful – 17y 61d, vs Sri Lanka in 2001
At 17 years and 61 days, the former captain of Bangladesh stands as the youngest Test player to produce a century. After Sri Lanka scored a whopping 555 in their first innings in Colombo and Bangladesh were bowled out for just 90 in theirs, rookie Mohammad Ashraful showed off his skills in the second innings for the tourists. The right-hander led Sri Lanka to an innings and 137-run victory as Bangladesh folded after posting 328 on a challenging surface thanks to his stubborn and passionate century.
