When Australia selected 19-year-old rookie Ashton Agar for the first Ashes Test against England at Trent Bridge, there were more than a few eyebrows raised.
When Australia crumbled from 108 for four to 117 for nine, everyone thought, yeah England are now going to go in and bat in a few minutes under splendid batting conditions and put in a big second innings total.
However, they did not account for a teenager, with no fear whatsoever of the occasion, playing just about one of the most brilliant debut innings you will ever see.
Agar was the star of the show, scoring an unbelievable 98 (101, 12x4, 2x6), building a record 163-run partnership for the tenth wicket with Phil Hughes and taking Australia well beyond England's first innings score of 215.
Australia would eventually finish on 280 all out for a lead of 65, before England, after seeing themselves precariously placed on 11 for two, following two wickets in two balls from Mitchell Starc, saw through the rest of the day to end the day's play on 80 for two.
Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen are at the crease on 37 and 35 respectively and England will look towards their two most experienced batsmen to post a commanding total on a day which is expected to be best suited for batting.
Earlier, it was all about Agar really, as the left-hander, brought in as a left-arm spinner, just lent into the England bowlers with ridiculous ease, scoring at a run-a-ball and making batting look as easy as an apple pie.
This is a man who came in at No. 11, and someone who was making his debut in the cauldron that is the Ashes, we are talking about, and take it in whatever context you may, the innings was nothing short of superlative.
Hughes, at the other end, should be given as much credit for staying in there and acting as a calming influence to Agar. Hughes' unbeaten 81 was just as crucial as the 98 of Agar, although the latter will rightly take most of the plaudits.
As the duo batted on, records kept tumbling. First it was Australia's record tenth wicket partnership that was broken, before they surpassed the highest partnership for the final wicket ever against England.
Then came the icing on the cake when the two got past the record tenth wicket partnership of 151, before Agar then became the highest ever scorer at No.11, bettering West Indian Tino Best's 95 - ironically also scored against England only last year.
If there was ever any innings that deserved a hundred, it would have been Agar's; but almost inevitably the youngster went for a pull shot to score the needed two runs to get to that magical three-figure mark and lo and behold the ball went into the lap of Graeme Swann at deep midwicket off Stuart Broad.
The expressions on the balcony at the Australian dressing room and that of Agar's family watching with baited breath and utter disbelief from the stands said it all.
But Agar showed he is here for the long haul, cracking a smile and with a shrug of the shoulders making that memorable walk back to the pavilion as everyone at Trent Bridge got on their feet to applaud a truly terrific innings.
It was James Anderson, who else, that did much of the damage earlier on, completing his five-wicket haul as Swann also chipped in with a couple to put Australia on the brink of an embarrassing total.
They did not count for a certain Agar, though, and what ensued from there was something that will remain in everyone's minds long after this epic series is done and dusted.
