On this day in 1985: Mohammad Azharuddin becomes first batter to score a century in first three Tests – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Twenty-seven years ago, it was on this day that Mohammad Azharuddin entered the pages of history by completing a hat-trick of centuries in his debut Test series against England.

Mohammad Azharuddin made his debut for the Indian cricket team in the 1984-85 Test series, at 21, against England and became the first player to score a century in each of his first three Tests.

File image of former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Sportzpics

India won the first Test by eight wickets with batter Syed Kirmani scoring 102 and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan bowling out the opposition team at the Wankhade Stadium in Mumbai.

The visiting team, however, hit back hard in the second Test held at Firoz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi, winning by eight wickets.

All-rounder Kapil Dev and middle-order batter Sandeep Patil were dropped from the playing XI due to their performances.

Chetan Sharma replaced Kapil Dev. A debutant from Hyderabad, Mohammad Azharuddin, was brought in place of Patil.

The third Test held in Kolkata against England was played under the captaincy of Sunil Gavaskar who elected to bat after the Indian team won the toss. The match saw a weary start as Sunil Gavaskar and Anshuman Gaekwad, both were out for 35. Cricketers Mohinder Amarnath and Dilip Vengsarkar were also dismissed early.

At 127-4, Mohammad Azharuddin came to bat with partner Ravi Shastri and brought the crowd at Eden Gardens to his feet. The right-handed batter made 110 runs and scored a century on his debut match. India made 437 runs but the match was drawn. However, Mohammad Azharuddin announced his arrival at the international stage with a gutsy performance.

In the fourth Test, the host team won the toss and decided to bat first. In the first innings, the right-handed batter scored only 48 runs as he was dismissed by bowler Chris Cowdrey. India made 272 runs in the first innings whereas England made a mammoth 652 in their first innings.

India now had to display a solid performance as it trailed by 380 runs. The second innings saw a sloppy start but soon picked up the pace with Mohammad Azharuddin proving his mettle by making a century again. The batter scored 105 runs and Mohinder Amarnath also notched up 95, leading India to 412.

Mohammad Azharuddin’s third Test and the fifth and final match of the series was held in 1985 at Green Park, Kanpur.

India chose to bat first and made a solid 553 in their first innings. Once again, Mohammad Azharuddin displayed his batting prowess. The cricketer made a stupendous 122 in the first innings of the fifth Test match. England was bowled out for 417 in the first innings but the match ended in a draw. England won the 5-match series 2-1.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.