This day, that year: Jacques Rudolph smashes double hundred on Test debut for South Africa

Jacques Rudolph scored 222* on debut against Bangladesh (not in picture). (Source: AP/File)

Jacques Rudolph on this day in 2003 made his Test debut against Bangladesh in Chittagong and the left-handed batsman never looked uncomfortable on the crease. Rudolph in his very first innings grabbed a number of records and one of them was the second highest individual score by a batsman in Test cricket on debut. He smashed 222 runs and remained unbeaten. England’s RE Foster holds the record of the highest individual score on debut innings. He scored 287 runs in the first innings against Australia way back in 1903.

Batting first, Bangladesh were restricted to a total of 173 runs in the first innings. Left-arm chinaman bowler Paul Adams went through the Bangladesh batting line up and bagged a fifer during the innings. For Bangladesh it was Habibul Bashar who showed some resistance for his 60 but that wasn’t enough to anchor the hosts to a good total.

In reply, South Africa too lost skipper Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs early and were reduced to 41 for 2. But Rudolph and Boeta Dippenear had plans as the two batsmen stitched a solid unbeaten stand of 429 runs for the third wicket. This was the highest stand by a South African pair. Smith declared the innings with the scoreboard reading 470/2.

The hosts had to work really hard with the red cherry as they used the services of as many seven bowlers during South Africa’s first innings. Bangladesh then were bundled out for 237 in the second innings. Opener Javed Omar scored 71 while Bashar went on to score his second half century of the match. The match belonged to Rudolph and was the high point of his short career.