A debut game for any cricketer is brimmed with pressure and expectations; he drills his heart out in the domestic circuit and competes with thousands to make it to the national side. After making it to the national side, he competes with his teammates to make it to the playing XI and gets to don the national jersey for the first time. When he walks on to the 22-yards for the first time, a lot of things roll down his head and overcomes that to evolve victorious. Temba Bavuma became the latest cricketer to have joined the elite league of cricketers to have smashed a ton on his One-Day International (ODI) debut. He became the 12th cricketer to have done so and has now become the sixth-highest run-scorer in ODI debut with his tally of 113 runs against Ireland at Benoni on Sunday. Bavuma surpassed late Australian cricketer Phil Hughes by a solitary run as the southpaw now holds the seventh position in the list. Take a look at all top-10 run-scorers here:
1. Desmond Haynes, 148 vs Australia: Haynes sits at the apex of the list with his mammoth knock of 148 off 136 deliveries in the first ODI of Australia in West Indies ODI series back in February 1978. He overhauled the then record of Dennis Amiss’s 103 and announced his presence with a bang. While opening the batting he scored 148, which contained 16 boundaries and two sixes. His maverick knock helped West Indies post 313 runs in 50 overs and win the game by 44 runs (revised target).
2. Mark Chapman, 124 vs United Arab Emirates: Chapman from Hong Kong was another budding talent who shot to limelight in his first game against United Arab Emirates in November 2015 at Dubai. Chapman’s fiery knock of 124 off 116 deliveries while batting at No.4 guided his side in posting 298 runs and win the game by 89 runs. Chapman’s willow sent the white leather 13 times to the boundary out of which it took the aerial route on couple of occasions. Hong Kong won the game by 89 runs and Chapman was adjudged Man of the Match.
3. Colin Ingram, 124 vs Zimbabwe: Ingram fired 124 against Zimbabwe at Bloemfontein in October 2010. Batting first, Ingram scored 124 off 126 deliveries at four and helped his side in registering a massive total of 351. Ingram played a composed innings, which included eight boundaries and two sixes. South Africa won by 64 runs and Ingram also won the Man of the Match award for this magnificent outing.
4. Martin Guptill, 122 vs West Indies: Guptill marked his presence against the white ball in the fourth ODI against West Indies at Auckland in January 2009. Gutpill smacked 122 off 135 deliveries while New Zealand posted 275 on the board, which hailed of eight boundaries and two sixes. The match didn’t conclude a result as rain played the spoilsport.
5. Andy Flower, 115* vs Sri Lanka: Andy Flower hogged all the headlines with his splendid outing in the third game of the 1992 World Cup against Sri Lanka at New Plymouth in February 1992. Flower smashed 115 from 152 balls as Zimbabwe stunned everyone and registered 312 but that was not enough as Zimbabwe lost the encounter by three wickets. Flower remained unbeaten after opening the batting and played out entire 50 overs, further gave a testament of his ability.
6. Temba Bavuma, 113 vs Ireland: Bavuma made his chances count and grabbed the golden opportunity with both the hands during the only ODI against Ireland at Benoni on Sunday. Bavuma played a determined knock of 113 off 123 deliveries and got his team off to a flying start with a scintillating ton. Bavuma hit 13 boundaries and solitary six as South Africa posted 354 runs in their 50 overs. Ireland will have a tough challenge in the chasing down the target.
7. Phil Hughes, 112 vs Sri Lanka : Late Australian cricketer, Phil Hughes was undoubtedly one of the most technically composed Australian cricketers. He created a stir in the fraternity with his unwavering knock of 112 against Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Melbourne on his debut in January 2013. His knock boasted of 14 boundaries and helped his side win the game by 107 runs after putting 305 on the board. Hughes unfortunately met with an accident while playing a cricket match as a shorter one from Sean Abbott hit his head after which he succumbed to death on November 27, 2014.
8. Rob Nicol, 108 vs Zimbabwe: Rob Nicol from New Zealand played a match-winning knock of 108 off 131 balls runs while chasing a target of 232 against Zimbabwe in the first ODI at Harare in October 2011. Nicol remained unconquered and helped his side win the game by nine wickets riding on 11 boundaries and some exquisite timing. He was also conferred with Man of the Match award for this memorable outing.
9. Michael Lumb, 106 vs West Indies: Lumb made his ODI debut at the age of 34, he played an outstanding knock to make the moment unforgettable against West Indies at Antigua in February 2014. His 106 runs knock off 117-balls had seven boundaries and two sixes while hunting down the target of 270 but eventually fell short by 15 runs. England lost the match by 15 runs but Lumb made a name for himself.
10. Dennis Amiss, 103 vs Australia : Amiss became the first man ever to score a ton on his ODI debut, which came against England at Manchester in August 1972. Amiss’ record was later overhauled by Haynes. While chasing a target of 223, Amiss opened the batting for England and scored 103 off 134 deliveries with nine boundaries. England won the game by nine wickets and Amiss inscribed his name in the history of ODI cricket with gold.
(Suraj Choudhariis a reporter with Criclife and CricketCountry. He is an avid follower of the game, and plays the sport at club level. He has a radical understanding about the subtle nuances and intricacies of cricket, and tries to express it through paper and pen.)
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