New Zealand's batting duo of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra produced a brilliant performance in the opening match of the men's ODI World Cup, smashing the first and second centuries respectively of the 2023 edition during the match against England in Ahmedabad. Conway reached his century in just 83 deliveries, putting the Kiwis in total command in the 283-run chase. This was the left-hander's fifth century in the format, while Ravindra also reached the three figures in the 31st four. With the three-figure mark under the belt in their debut World Cup match, Conway and Ravindra also entered a unique list of batters.
Their remarkable century on his World Cup debut made them the 15th and 16th batters respectively to achieve this illustrious feat. The left-handed Conway accomplished this milestone with incredible finesse, with his innings featuring a remarkable display of skill, including 13 boundaries and two powerful sixes until the 100-run mark.
Notably, Dennis Amiss of England was the trailblazer in this regard, being the first batter ever to notch a century on his World Cup debut. Amiss achieved this milestone during the inaugural World Cup match against India in 1975, setting a historic precedent. Andy Flower of Zimbabwe etched his name in cricketing lore by not only achieving a century on his World Cup debut but also accomplishing this remarkable feat during his ODI debut in 1992.
Take a look at the list of players who have achieved this feat:
- 137 Dennis Amiss, England, vs India - 1975
- 171* Glenn Turner, New Zealand vs East Africa - 1975
- 102 Allan Lamb, England vs New Zealand, 1983
- 110 Trevor Chappell, Australia vs India - 1983
- 110 Geoff Marsh, Australia vs India - 1987
- 115* Andy Flower, Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka - 1992
- 101 Nathan Astle, New Zealand vs England - 1996
- 188* Gary Kirsten, South Africa vs the United Arab Emirates - 1996
- 141 Scott Styrist, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka - 2003
- 172* Craig Wishart, Zimbabwe vs Namibia - 2003
- 143* Andrew Symonds, Australia vs Pakistan - 2003
- 115* Jeremy Bray, Ireland vs Zimbabwe - 2007
- 100* Virat Kohli, India vs Bangladesh - 2011
- 135 Aaron Finch, Australia vs England 2015
- 100* (batting) Devon Conway, New Zealand vs England - 2023
- 100* Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand vs England - 2023
Take a look at the list of players who have achieved this feat:
- 137 Dennis Amiss, England, vs India - 1975
- 171* Glenn Turner, New Zealand vs East Africa - 1975
- 102 Allan Lamb, England vs New Zealand, 1983
- 110 Trevor Chappell, Australia vs India - 1983
- 110 Geoff Marsh, Australia vs India - 1987
- 115* Andy Flower, Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka - 1992
- 101 Nathan Astle, New Zealand vs England - 1996
- 188* Gary Kirsten, South Africa vs the United Arab Emirates - 1996
- 141 Scott Styrist, New Zealand vs Sri Lanka - 2003
- 172* Craig Wishart, Zimbabwe vs Namibia - 2003
- 143* Andrew Symonds, Australia vs Pakistan - 2003
- 115* Jeremy Bray, Ireland vs Zimbabwe - 2007
- 100* Virat Kohli, India vs Bangladesh - 2011
- 135 Aaron Finch, Australia vs England 2015
- 100* (batting) Devon Conway, New Zealand vs England - 2023
- 100* Rachin Ravindra, New Zealand vs England - 2023
The Kiwis made an electrifying start with the bat against hot-favourites England, who have been widely touted to defend the title. A rather one-sided game at Ahmedabad was quite a contrast to the last meeting between the two sides in the iconic World Cup final in 2019, when the match and Super Over ending in a tie, with England eventually lifting the trophy on superior boundary count.