Who was the first cricketer to score a Test century for India?

Lala Amarnath (Nanik Amarnath Bhardwaj, 1911-2000) scored India's first Test century, 118 runs, against England in the first Test match played in India, at the Bombay Gymkhana ground in December 1933. It was his debut Test match. He was the first Indian to score a Test century and the first Indian to score a century on Test debut.

About Lala Amarnath:

• He was born in Kapurthala, Punjab.
• He was an all-rounder, a right-handed batsman and a medium-pace bowler.
• He was the first captain of independent India's Test team, leading India on its first tour of Australia in 1947-48 and against Pakistan in 1952-53, when India won its first Test series.
• In the 1947-48 series against Australia, he became the first Indian (and one of the few bowlers ever) to dismiss Don Bradman hit-wicket.
• He later served as chairman of the national selection committee, as a manager and as a commentator.
• He received the Padma Bhushan in 1991.

His sons, Mohinder Amarnath and Surinder Amarnath, also played Test cricket for India. Mohinder was the Man of the Match in the 1983 World Cup final.

Other Indian cricket "firsts":

• K. Nayudu: first Test captain of India (1932, Lord's).
• Vijay Hazare: captain when India won its first Test match (1952, Madras).
• Vinoo Mankad: famous for the "Mankad" run-out; he and Pankaj Roy set a record 413-run opening partnership in 1956.
• Sunil Gavaskar: first batsman in the world to score 10,000 Test runs (1987).
• Sachin Tendulkar: first batsman to score 100 international centuries and a double century in ODIs (2010).

Why not the other options?

• ✗K. Nayudu was India's first Test captain.
• ✗Vijay Hazare captained India to its first Test win.
• ✗Vinoo Mankad was a great all-rounder of the 1940s-50s.