This is Vijay’s third consecutive ton in the longest format of the game paying in India, making him the only opener apart from former England captain Alastair Cook to do so. (Source: BCCI)
Murali Vijay scored his 12th Test century in Bangalore on Thursday in Day 1 of the standalone Test between India and Afghanistan. Vijay reached the mark in 143 balls with KL Rahul standing at the non-striker’s end. This is Vijay’s third consecutive ton in the longest format of the game paying in India, making him the only opener apart from former England captain Alastair Cook to do so. Vijay was eventually dismissed by Wafadar on 105.
Vijay’s opening partner Shikhar Dhawan himself managed to score a century before Lunch, becoming the first Indian to do so on Day 1 of a Test match. Dhawan and Vijay put up an opening partnership of 168 runs as India dominated the first session. Dhawan was eventually dismissed by Yamin Ahmadzai, who thus became the first player from Afghanistan to take a wicket in Test cricket.
But the run feast continued with Vijay and KL Rahul going on to put up a 112-run stand for the second wicket. Vijay’s dismissal was quickly followed by that of Rahul’s wicket and now it is captain Ajinkya Rahane playing in the middle with Cheteshwar Pujara.
This is the first time ever that the country of Afghanistan is being represented in a Test match. The likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, already household names due to Afghanistan’s success in T20I cricket and the IPL, all made their debuts in the longest format of the game. They are playing an almost full-fledged Indian team with the notable absentees being regular Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and captain Virat Kohli.