Test debut. Lord’s Cricket Ground. Left-handed batsman. Born on July 8. A century.

In a remarkable piece of coincidence, 25 years after Sourav Ganguly achieved his feat at the Home of Cricket, New Zealand’s Devon Conway became only the third man in the history of the game to score a Test century on debut.

The 29-year-old Conway joined a select group of cricketers on Wednesday by marking his Test debut with a hundred at Lord’s.

The South Africa-born opener found himself thrust into the action straight away after New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and batted in the first of a two-match series against England.

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But while star batsman Williamson and the experienced Ross Taylor both fell cheaply, Conway pressed on to a 163-ball century, reaching the landmark with a flamboyant whipped legside four, his 11th boundary, off England debutant fast bowler Ollie Robinson.

At stumps on day one, Conway had made an unbeaten 136 in a total of 246/3, having shared an unbroken partnership of 132 with fellow left-hander Henry Nicholls (46 not out). It is already the highest score on debut by a batsman at Lord’s in a Test match.

Only five other batsmen had previously scored a Test debut hundred at Lord’s, with Conway the first New Zealand international to achieve the feat.

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Batsmen to have scored Test debut hundred at Lord’s (player, total, team, opposition, year):

Centuries on Test debut at Lord's

Player Runs Inns Opposition Match started
Harry Graham (AUS) 107 2 v England 17 Jul 1893
John Hampshire (ENG) 107 2 v West Indies 26 Jun 1969
Sourav Ganguly (INDIA) 131 2 v England 20 Jun 1996
Andrew Strauss (ENG) 112 2 v New Zealand 20 May 2004
Matt Prior (ENG) 126* 1 v West Indies 17 May 2007
Devon Conway (NZ) 136* 1 v England 2 Jun 2021

Highest Test scores on Test debut at Lord's

Player Runs Inns Opposition Start Date
DP Conway (NZ) 136* 1 v England 2 Jun 2021
SC Ganguly (INDIA) 131 2 v England 20 Jun 1996
MJ Prior (ENG) 126* 1 v West Indies 17 May 2007
AJ Strauss (ENG) 112 2 v New Zealand 20 May 2004
H Graham (AUS) 107 2 v England 17 Jul 1893
JH Hampshire (ENG) 107 2 v West Indies 26 Jun 1969
R Dravid (INDIA) 95 2 v England 20 Jun 1996
RC Russell (ENG) 94 2 v Sri Lanka 25 Aug 1988
Hon.FS Jackson (ENG) 91 1 v Australia 17 Jul 1893
AJ Strauss (ENG) 83 4 v New Zealand 20 May 2004

Test 100s on debut in ENG by away batsmen

Player Runs Inns Ground Start Date
H Graham (AUS) 107 2 Lord's 17 Jul 1893
AA Baig (INDIA) 112 4 Manchester 23 Jul 1959
DM Wellham (AUS) 103 3 The Oval 27 Aug 1981
SC Ganguly (INDIA) 131 2 Lord's 20 Jun 1996
DP Conway (NZ) 136* 1 Lord's 2 Jun 2021

Here are some reactions and more numbers from Conway’s special innings:

All statistics for men’s Tests, as there is yet to be a women’s Test played at Lord’s.

Statistics courtesy ESPNCricinfo Statsguru