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There have been myriad, exceptionally skilled Indian Test captains who have been works of art in terms of how they lead, plan, attack and ultimately, win the contest for their country.
But how many of them have actually managed to score a century in just their first Test as captain of India? There are a few names in this coveted, exceedingly bright light but one that also ultimately describes the tenacity and class of these captain-batters. Let us find out then.
India captains to score a century on Test captaincy debut
Vijay Hazare
The most number of runs scored as captain of Team India in maiden appearance as the team's leader still belongs to the great Vijay Hazare, a cricket legend of all time and one who shouldn't be forgotten.
In 1951, playing in Delhi against England, the great Vijay Hazare scored a magnificent 164 and remained not out. A glorious knock then, a glorious knock even now, almost seven and a half decades since its construction.
Sunil Gavaskar
Against a lucid Kiwi fast bowling attack comprising Dayle Hadlee and Richard Collinge, 187 Test wickets between them, the great legend of world cricket, not just Indian cricket, Sir Sunil Gavaskar opened his Test account as captain in his first ever appearance as the team's leader with a glorious 116 in Auckland.
Even though the contest was lost by hosts eventually, Gavaskar's grace under pressure and ability to keep the ship moving in testing waters stood out as a mark of his immense class with the bat. India won the contest by 8 wickets and legends like Bhagwath Chandrasekhar and later, Erapalli Prasanna took 14 wickets among them to lead the charge of Team India in BlackCaps territory.
What a glorious win back then!
Dilip Vengsarkar
The year was 1987. The West Indies were still a strong force to reckon with even with the heydays of the sixties and seventies and the glory those times brought the team well behind it. Even as there was no Malcolm Marshall around at that particular time in the Test match, Delhi was buzzing with the Indian team having been reduced to a state of shambles in its first inning score of 75 all out.
Patrick Patterson and Winston Davis had taken 8 wickets between them and it wasn't the perfect start for Dilip Vengsarkar's career as Test captain.
But after Chetan Sharma and the great Kapil Dev fought back for India, clinching 8 Windies wickets between them, the visitors were out for 127 in their first innings and the focus was once again back on Indian batting.
But this time around, captain Dilip Vengsarkar led by an example and exceptionally so, scoring a brilliant and brave 102 in the end, to give his team some sort of a respectability in their score of 327. Kapil Dev and Kiran More contributed with vital 40s.
However, in the end, the West Indies chased down a fourth inning total with Sir Viv making a valiant 109, the 'Colonel' of India, Mr. Vengsarkar had already played his part and with much finesse.
Virat Kohli
The great Test batter, Virat Kohli's introduction to the sphere of Test captaincy wasn't particularly a memorable one. Back in 2014, in the first Test in Adelaide, he locked horns against a mighty Australian side at home, then powered by Michael Clarke, his opposite number along with Warner, Smith, Watson and Marsh in the team.
And while Clarke, Smith and Warner each made solid hundreds having an almost pernicious affect on Team India, Kohli answered with the bat with his solid Test ton on his debut as captain of his side.
His 115 off 184 was a rock solid answer to Australia's 517 run total. Earlier, Pujara in the seventies contributed a vital fifty.
But Kohli announced himself as captain of a side that would, in no condition, be a lame pushover.
Now, it seems it's so far back in time that it's already 10 years ago.
Shubman Gill
Taking the great example of some of his illustrious contemporaries from India, the great bat in the works, Shubman Gill scored a courageous and determined 127 not out against England in the first innings during India's opening Test at Headingley, Leeds.
This is a great effort already and Gill would ideally like to score a big one during his first game as captain of India's Test unit.
