Debutant opener Shikhar Dhawan grabbed the limelight with a classy, unbeaten 185 on the third day of the rain-hit third Test against Australia at the PCA Stadium here on Saturday.
Replying to Australia’s 408, India had cruised to 283 without loss at close of play, Delhi boy Dhawan having recorded not just the highest score by an Indian debutant but the quickest hundred on first appearance by a batsman anywhere in the world.
He needed a mere 85 deliveries to reach the landmark, beating West Indian Dwayne Smith’s earlier 93-ball hundred against South Africa nine years ago.
Dhawan also consigned Gundappa Vishwanath’s 137, against Australia at Kanpur in 1969, India’s earlier top debut performance with the bat, to the history books.
They were just some of the many records that fell as India had one of their brightest days in Test cricket for a long time. Dhawan and Murali Vijay’s 283-run association thus far is India’s best for the first wicket against Australia home and away, besides being the biggest for that position at this ground.
Dhawan was — technically — out before he had even faced his first ball in Test cricket as he could have been run out when the ball skipped out of bowler Mitchell Starc’s hands and dislodged the bails with the batsman out of his crease.
Australia however, did not appeal, and he carried on to craft a century of elegance and power that pushed the opposition on to the back foot even after they had posted a 400-plus total of their own.