4 batting greats who never scored an ODI century against India

ODI cricket, which made its entry in 1971, is considered a relatively traditional format of the game. ODIs were played sparingly in the late 70s and early 80s, but started to gain popularity in the next decade when cricket was played for the first time in colored clothing and with the white ball.

The 1990s and 2000s saw a bunch of legends make their mark in the then shortest format, and piled up some records which were hitherto unthinkable.

In the early days, a strike rate around 70 was considered quite good. But the dynamics of the game changed completely post 2010, and now 80 is considered the bare minimum.

To be remembered as a great ODI player, you have to score runs against all oppositions across the globe, and also do well at the World Cup. In this article, we will take a look at 4 players who achieved a lot of success in their careers but never scored an ODI century against the Indian team

Note: Only those players who have played more than 150 ODIs have been considered here.

#4 Michael Hussey

Mike Hussey

Micheal Hussey, popularly called 'Mr.Cricket; because of his approach towards the game, was a late bloomer. He made his debut after the age of 30 and yet had a very successful career in all formats of the game.

Hussey's role was of critical importance to the Australian middle order during their era of domination, as his ability to pace the innings was considered as the best in the business. In his ODI career, Hussey played 185 ODIs for Australia scoring 5442 runs at an average nearing 48.

However, Mr. Cricket never went past the three-figure mark against the Indians in ODI cricket. He played 21 matches against them, scoring 7 fifties at an average of 59, but couldn't get to that magical 100 mark.

Hussey is a very popular figure in India, having played for the CSK for a number of years.

#3 Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming

The former New Zealand captain was known for his shrewd tactics and brilliant understanding of the game. With the bat too, Fleming was a class apart as he scored more than 8000 ODI runs for New Zealand.

Against the Indians though, Fleming's record is not that great. He played 40 matches against the Men in Blue, scoring 1089 runs at an average of 32, and never went past the century mark.

Fleming's ODI career numbers read 8039 runs from 280 games, with 8 hundreds and a strike rate of 71.

#2 Steve Waugh

Steve Waugh

The former Australian captain and the World Cup winner of 1999 is one of the best middle-order batsmen that the Aussies have ever produced in the ODI cricket. Waugh's ODI career extended over a period of 325 games and saw him score 7569 runs at an average of 32.

However, Steve Waugh did not enjoy as much success against India as he did against other teams. He played 53 games against them but never got to the three-figure mark. His average too was mediocre against India, at just 29.

Waugh played his last ODI for Australia in February 2002.

#1 Brian Lara

Brian Lara

The legend from Trinidad is easily one of the best ODI batsmen the West Indies have ever produced. At his best, Lara demolished the best bowling attacks without breaking a sweat. He was known to keep batting tirelessly when he was in full flow.

However, the Indians were lucky to escape Brian Lara's wrath in ODI cricket, as the master never scored an ODI century against them. Lara has a poor record against India considering his standards.

His numbers against India read 1142 runs from 42 games at an average of 33, without any centuries. In Test cricket too, he has just one century against India.

Even though he dominated the bowling attacks all across the world, It is fair to say that Lara never found a way to score runs against India.

Unlike the other great players who retired around the same time as Lara, the Prince of Trinidad never featured in the Indian Premier League either.