Azan Awais Enters Elite List: Pakistan Players Who Have Scored A Hundred On Test Debut

Azan Awais on debut for Pakistan [Source: AFP]

On Sunday morning in Mirpur, the 21-year-old Azan Awais became Pakistan’s latest Test centurion as they took on Bangladesh in the first of the two-match series, looking to resume the World Test Championship cycle on a high note.

Having been presented the debut cap just days ago, Awais looked solid in his first international innings, carrying a reputation for scoring big totals in the domestic circuit in his young career. 

As he got to the three-figure mark in the 51st over of the innings, he became only the 14th Pakistani debutant to reach this special milestone in Tests. Below is the full list explored.

Pakistan players to score a century on Test debut

1. Khaled (Billy) Ibadulla – 166 vs Australia, 1964

During the only Test of Australia’s tour of Pakistan, 1964, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat in Karachi. 

Right-handed opening bat, Khaled Ibadulla faced the first ball of the match and subsequently became the first-ever Pakistan player to score a century on Test debut, 12 years after Pakistan had played their first Test.

He went on to score 166 runs with 20 fours to help the team to 414 runs in the first innings of the match. They took the lead, and the match ended in a draw.

2. Javed Miandad – 163 vs New Zealand, 1976

12 years after Khaled Ibadulla became the first debutant centurion for Pakistan, during the first Test of New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan in 1976, Pakistan batted first in Lahore. 

They got reduced to 44/3 early in the match. This is when Javed Miandad came in at 5 and racked up 163 with 19 fours.

After 55/4, he combined with Wasim Raja for a mammoth 281-run partnership to take the team to 417, as they went on to win the match by 6 wickets. Miandad went on to become Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in Tests, before Younis Khan surpassed him in 2015.

3. Saleem Malik – 100* vs Sri Lanka, 1982

Yet another Pakistan great, Saleem Malik, features in this list for his brilliant 100* (191) on debut when they hosted Sri Lanka in 1982. 

During the first Test in Karachi, Pakistan batted first, and Malik could only score 12(55), but upon taking a 52-run first-innings lead, Malik stepped up and scored an unbeaten 100 off 191 with 10 fours. He took the target to 354 runs, and Pakistan won the match by 204 runs.

4. Mohammad Wasim – 109* vs New Zealand, 1996

During New Zealand’s tour of Pakistan in 1996, the teams played the first Test in Lahore, and New Zealand batted first, scoring 155 runs in the first innings. Pakistan took a 36-run lead but were eventually asked to chase a target of 276 runs.

In a complicated run-chase, where they were 42/5 and 60/6, Mohammad Wasim stuck to one end and scored a match-winning 109* (165) with 17 fours. He brought Pakistan back into the match but due to the lack of support from the other end, they lost by 44 runs.

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5. Ali Naqvi – 115 vs South Africa, 1997

During South Africa’s tour of Pakistan in 1997, the teams played the first Test in Rawalpindi and Pakistan batted first. 

On debut, Ali Naqvi opened alongside captain Saeed Anwar and faced the Allan Donald-led bowling attack brilliantly to score 116 (270) with 14 fours. During his innings, he kept losing partners but managed to take Pakistan to 456 runs.

Thanks to a complete team performance, South Africa responded with 403 runs and the match ended in a draw.

6. Azhar Mahmood – 128* vs South Africa, 1997

During the aforementioned Test, Ali Naqvi was not the only debutant to score a century. The number 8 bat, Azhar Mahmood, who walked in to bat at 206/6, combined with the tail-enders, Waqar Younis and Mushtaq Ahmed and took the team to 456 with his 128*(267) with 11 fours and a six.

His century made sure Pakistan had enough on the board to avoid defeat.

7. Younis Khan – 107 vs Sri Lanka, 2000

In Sri Lanka’s tour of Pakistan in 2000, a young Younis Khan made his debut as the team batted first and were bundled for 182, and Sri Lanka took a 171-run lead.

Once again in the second innings, Pakistan lost wickets in a cluster and number 7 batter Younis Khan stepped up to score 107(250) with 11 fours to take the target to 220. However, Sri Lanka chased down the score and won by 2 wickets.

He went on to captain Pakistan in all formats and also became the first Pakistan player to score 10000 Test runs, ending the career with an average of 52.05 as one of Pakistan's greatest.

8. Taufeeq Umar – 104 vs Bangladesh, 2001

During the first match of the Asian Test Championship in 2001 at Multan, Bangladesh batted first and got all out for 134, courtesy of a 6-fer of Danish Kaneria.

In response, five of Pakistan’s top-6 batters scored a century, which included Taufeeq Umar’s 104(163) from the opening position with 15 fours. They scored 546/3 (dec) and won the match by 264 runs and an innings.

9. Yasir Hameed – 170 & 105 vs Bangladesh, 2003

In the first Test of the tour in Karachi, 2003, Bangladesh batted first and scored 288 runs in the first innings. In response, Pakistan lost an opener in 3 overs, and number 3 Yasir Hameed racked up 170 off 253 with 25 fours in the first innings to take a 58-run lead.

Bangladesh scored another 274 and took the target to 217 runs. Yasir Hameed, who came in to bat in the 6th over, once again took the onus and got 105 off 161 with 15 fours to chase the score in just 70 overs. He became the first Pakistani batter to score twin centuries on Test debut,

10. Fawad Alam – 168 vs Sri Lanka, 2009

During the second Test of Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2009, Pakistan were bowled out for just 90 runs while batting first, with Fawad Alam’s 16 off 33 as an opener. Sri Lanka responded with 240 runs and took a 150 run lead.

In response, the left-hand batter, Fawad Alam, took responsibility and scored a brilliant 168 off 259 with 15 fours and a six to his name. 

In the process, he stitched a 200-run stand with Younis Khan and they took a respectable 170-run lead. Sri Lanka; however, won the match by 7 wickets. In this match, Alam became the first Pakistan debutant to score a century overseas.

11. Umar Akmal – 129 vs New Zealand

Responding to New Zealand’s mammoth 429-run first innings score, Pakistan were 79/4 and 85/5 in Dunedin when they toured New Zealand in November 2009. 

Batting at number 5, the promising youngster Umar Akmal scored an all-important 129(160) with 21 fours and two sixes. He also added 176 runs with his brother Kamran for the 6th wicket to take the team to 332.

Nonetheless, New Zealand won the match by 32 runs, and Umar Akmal scored another 75(174) while chasing 251.

12. Abid Ali – 109 vs Sri Lanka

In the first Test of Sri Lanka’s 2019 tour of Pakistan, Sri Lanka scored 308/6 in the first innings of a rain-affected match in Rawalpindi. In response to the score, right-handed opener Abid Ali scored 109(201) with 11 fours to take the team to 252/2, but the match was eventually drawn.

13. Kamran Ghulam - 118 vs England, 2024

When England toured Pakistan in 2024 and won the first Test by an innings, Kamran Ghulam made his debut in the second Test in Multan and scored 118 off 224 with 11 fours and a six, while playing over Babar Azam in the match.

He helped the team score 366 runs in the first inning and eventually, Pakistan squared the series with a 152-run win.

14. Azan Awais - 103 vs Bangladesh, 2026

The 21-year-old became Pakistan's newest debutant in their tour of Bangladesh, 2026 and got the responsibility of opening the innings with Imam-ul-Haq. 

Trailing Bangladesh's 413 runs first innings score in Mirpur, Azan Awais scored an unbeaten 85 runs overnight on Day 2 of the Test.

On the next day, he completed his 100 off 153 balls but soon got dismissed by Taskin Ahmed for 103(165) with 14 fours to his name. When he got out, the team was 210/2, in a strong position to take the first innings lead.

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