New Zealand opening batsman Devon Conway has had a dream start to his Test career. Conway went past Sourav Ganguly’s record on the opening day of the first Test match against England at Lord’s on Wednesday. The former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly had scored a fine knock of 131 runs on his Test debut at the Mecca of Cricket, Lord’s in 1996.
Conway was able to break Ganguly’s 25-year old record as he scored 136 runs on an opening day and became the highest scorer on Test debut at Lords. Now Conway has broken another record of legendary KS Ranjitsinhji’s, which was 125 years old.
KS Ranjitsinhji had held a record of scoring 154 runs, which was the highest score for a debutant in England. The legendary batsman had scored 154 runs against Australia at Manchester in 1896 while playing for England. Furthermore, WG Grace had scored 150 on debut against Australia back in 1880 in Manchester.
Meanwhile, Conway is currently unbeaten on 179 at Lunch Break on the second day as New Zealand have scored 314/7. Thus, the left-hander has scored more than half of his team’s runs. The southpaw was able to time the ball to perfection on an opening day and continue the same in the first session of the second day. Conway added a fine alliance of 174 runs for the fourth wicket with Henry Nicholls, who scored 61 runs.
“It was a pretty surreal moment, I couldn’t have dreamed for a better start to my Test career,” he said afterwards.
“That [scoring a century on debut] never came across my mind,” Conway said. “Just getting a Test debut, a chance to play at this level, was all I thought about. Very happy, grateful for the opportunity from Cricket Wellington and also the Black Caps as well. A pretty special feeling, and one I certainly didn’t think about when I made that move.
This has been a perfect start for Conway and he will look to carry the same in the WTC final against India.
