It’s an age old cliché that cricket is a game of numbers. However, it’s a fact that without numbers, the gentleman’s game would be ‘nil batte sannata’.
In the gentleman’s game, making a Test century is always special. But if made on debut, it’s like the perfect icing on the cake. The three-figure mark becomes even more memorable if a cricketer achieves the feat while leading the side in his maiden match.
Yes you read it right! Captaining a national side on debut and scoring a ton – it sounds a bit surreal, doesn't it? And that’s the reason there is just one cricketer in the history of the game who has this inimitable record to his name.
David Laud Houghton, former Zimbabwe skipper, achieved the feat in 1992, when his country was granted Test status by the ICC and they became the ninth Test playing nation. The match was against Mohammad Azharuddin-led India, which was played at the Harare Sports Club between 18–22 October.
Barring John Traicos, who had earlier represented South Africa, the remaining 10 players of Zimbabwe were making their Test debut in the match.
After winning the toss, Houghton decided to bat. Surprisingly, despite facing a strong Indian bowling attack, the underdogs got off to a solid start, courtesy of openers Kevin Arnott (40) and Grant Flower (82), who forged a 100-run stand for the first wicket. At the close of Day 1, Zimbabwe were at 188/3 (AJ Pycroft 6*, MG Burmester 2*).
The next Day, Manoj Prabhakar got Burmester early morning and skipper Houghton walked in to the middle. After losing Pycroft (39), Houghton found an able ally in Andy Flower, and the duo added a crucial 165-run stand for the sixth wicket.
The mainstay of Zimbabwe's batting, Houghton played a captain’s knock and slammed a ton. In his snail-paced 121-run knock, he used 322 balls and hit 15 boundaries. His century on debut helped Zimbabwe punch above their weight as they put up 456 runs on the board in their first innings.
The Zimbabwe bowlers joined the party by coming close to forcing India to follow-on, bundling the opposition out for 307. Traicos bowled his heart out as he ran through the Indian middle order, picking a five-wicket haul while conceding a mere 86 runs.
After some sluggish batting by both the teams, eventually the match was called off as a draw on Day 5, when Zimbabwe were at 146 for 4 in their second innings. Houghton remained unbeaten on 41 in the last innings of the historic Test. After drawing the Test under Houghton, Zimbabwe became the first new member of the Test-playing community ever to avoid defeat in its inaugural Test match.
The Bulawayo-born Houghton is considered one of the most prolific batsmen in the history of Zimbabwean cricket. He remained the mainstay of the Zimbabwe batting line up till the fag end of his international cricket.
A world-class batsman, Houghton still holds the record for the highest individual Test score for Zimbabwe of 266, which he scored against Sri Lanka in October 1994 at Bulawayo.
Now 58, Houghton, who played for his country from 1992 to 1997, is also among the top 10 Test run getters for Zimbabwe, with 1,464 runs in 22 Tests at an average of 43.05. The dynamic batsman also represented Zimbabwe in 63 ODIs, where he amassed 1,530 runs at an average of 26.37.
Apart from being the backbone of the Zimbabwe batting line up, he was one of the safest slip fielders in the world. But in the history books, Houghton will always be remembered for captaining a Test side on his debut and making a ton!
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