5 players who scored century in the first and last Test

Regardless of the format, a century is often regarded as a measure of a batter's capability. Scoring a Test hundred is every batter's dream and achieving this milestone is not easy. However, there are some cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar who have made it look easy by consistently finding runs and completing triple figures. The India legend tops the list with 51 Test centuries, followed by former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis with 45 centuries. 

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There may be many players who have amassed many centuries in their international Test career, but to score a century on debut and farewell match is something special and very rare. While starting a career in red ball cricket with a ton is admirable, ending it with a ton is a perfect closure to their illustrious career. In this article, we take a look at five players who scored centuries in their first and last Test.

Mohammad Azharuddin

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Former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin made his debut in Test cricket in 1984 against England at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on 31 December 1984. The middle-order batter shocked the cricketing world by hitting three centuries in his first three matches. He started his career with a 110 and ended with a 102 against South Africa at Bangalore in 2000. In total, Azharuddin managed to score 22 tons in 99 Test matches at an average of 45.04. 

Reginald Duff

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Reginald Alexander Duff, also known as Reggie Duff, has represented Australia in 22 Tests between 1902 and 1905. He made his Test debut against England at Melbourne in 1901–02 and scored 104 runs. Remarkably, he batted at No. 10 in that innings. Duff also scored a century (146) in his last Test match against England. In fact, the right-hander was the first player to score a century on both their Test debut and a farewell match. 

William Ponsford

Considered one of the finest opening batter Australia have produced, William Ponsford began his Test career with a 110 against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). After scoring a triple figure (128 runs) in his second Test in Melbourne, he also became the first batter to score centuries in his first two Tests. He ended an illustrious Test career with a career-best 266 against England at the Kennington Oval in London in 1934.

Greg Chappell

An elegant striker of the ball, Gregory Stephen Chappell was a key element in Australia's batting line-up. Chappell scored 108 on his debut against England in Perth in 1970 and ended his 14-year career with 182 against Pakistan in Sydney in 1984. In total, the right-hander managed to hit 24 tons in 87 Test matches at an average of 53.86.

Alastair Cook

Sir Alastair Nathan Cook, the former captain of England's Test and ODI teams, became only the fifth batter ever to score a century on his debut and final Test. Considered one of the greatest opening batters in test cricket, Cook scored a hundred (104*) on his Test debut against India in Nagpur in 2006. His final Test century (33rd) also came against the same opposition in 2018 when he scored 147 runs at The Oval.