5 times an Indian batsman scored more than 50% of the team's total outside the subcontinent

One man shows in Test cricket are a well-known occurrence when it comes to batting but it is rare and hence, those innings are firmly etched in the memory of those who watched them unfold.

Indian batsmen, over the generations, have often risen over the ineptitude of their team-mates and managed to score runs against all odds.

Sometimes, those exceptional innings have accounted for more than half the runs scored by the entire team and that makes those innings so memorable. They do not often result in victories. For instance, Virat Kohli's 153 out of the total of 307 (there were 12 extras) last week against South Africa at Centurion Park is a case in point. So, here is a look at 5 such other instances from the history of Indian cricket.

5 Virender Sehwag 151 v Australia at Adelaide, 2008

The last Test of the infamous yet highly competitive series played between Australia and India Down Under saw the visitors escape with a draw with the help of a superb innings from an unlikely quarter.

Now, Virender Sehwag is not known for batting for draws and he did not do so on that occasion in Adelaide either, but eventually, it was his superb innings got India out of a hole. India made 526 in their first innings but Australia responded in kind by scoring 563 and then on the 4th evening, it felt like India just needed to avoid a shoddy collapse to draw the game.

However, they threatened to do just that, and Australia seemed to be in with a chance if they could get Sehwag out. While wickets kept falling, Sehwag continued to score runs and slowly took the game away from the hosts.

He played in his characteristic fashion and hit 11 boundaries and 2 sixes in his 151, that were scored in 236 deliveries. A strike rate of 63.98 against a bowling attack consisting of Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee takes some doing.

Although India did draw the game, the other batsmen did not find any glory as they could muster only 92 runs between themselves as India declared for 269 for 7.

4 Sachin Tendulkar 122 v England at Birmingham, 1996

Sachin Tendulkar en route to his 122 at Edgbaston.

Throughout the course of Sachin Tendulkar's long career, he played plenty of innings in which he stood alone among the wreckage, and that was particularly true in the 1990s. In 1996, Tendulkar arrived in England as the world's best batsman and at the peak of his powers.

In the first Test match at Birmingham, India were dismissed for a paltry 214 and after England responded with 313, the tourists had their task cut out for them.

They needed to put up a big second innings score but the batsmen failed miserably again and it was only Sachin Tendulkar, who stood tall and played an imperious innings despite losing batting partners frequently.

He went for his strokes and scored a rapid century that saw India somehow cross the 200 run mark, but that was not enough by any means. He hit 19 boundaries and sixes in his 122, that came off only 177 balls. The rest of the batsmen were however of no use, and the next highest score was 18 by Sanjay Manjrekar, as India crashed to 219 all out. England won the match easily by 8 wickets.

3 Virender Sehwag 195 v Australia at Melbourne, 2003

Virender Sehwag hits another one to the boundary at Melbourne.

The former Indian great makes another appearance in this list and perhaps the fact that Virender Sehwag scored so fast at the beginning, that it often did not matter what his team-mates did lower down the order. At least, that is one way of looking at it.

India arrived at Melbourne for the 3rd Test in the 2003-04 series with a 1-0 lead and upon winning the toss, they decided to bat first. Virender Sehwag then decided to play one of his most memorable innings and flayed the Australian bowling attack consisting of Brad Williams, Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill and Nathan Bracken.

He hit boundaries and sixes almost as well. He scored 195 and hit as many as 25 boundaries and 5 sixes to completely demoralise the opposition. Sehwag was the 4th wicket to fall late on the first day, with the scoreboard reading 311 for 4.

The rest of the batting line-up could not cope, and India were all out for a pitiful 366. The rest of the team and 15 extras contributed a grand total of 171. Australia won the game comfortably in the end to square the series.

2 VVS Laxman 167 v Australia at Sydney, 2000

VVS Laxman during his memorable knock at Sydney.

The 1999-00 tour of Australia proved to be a bit of a nightmare for India as they were blanked 3-0 by the best team in the world. However, on the day the series ended VVS Laxman played the innings of the series to restore some pride for the visitors as they slumped an innings defeat at Sydney.

India had been shot out for 150 in their first innings and after Australia declared at 552 for 5, it seemed like a matter of time before they were going to fold.

They did fold of course but VVS Laxman, who opened the innings played an innings of such supreme quality and attacking verve that the Test is remembered for that innings alone. He played strokes all around the wicket and the Australian bowling attack consisting of McGrath, Lee, Damien Fleming and Shane Warne had no answer to the onslaught.

He hit 27 boundaries in his 167, that came off only 198 deliveries and Laxman recorded a strike rate of 84.34. It was exhilarating stuff but the rest of the team collapsed in a heap. Ganguly's 25 was the next highest score, as India's innings folded for 261. The rest of the team scored only 73 runs and 21 runs came from extras.

1 Sunil Gavaskar 221 v England at The Oval, 1979

Sunil Gavaskar sweeps one to the fence during his epic knock.

One of the most famous lone hands that had ever been played in Indian cricket history was by the great Sunil Gavaskar at the Oval in 1979. England were leading the series 1-0 when the 4th and last Test match came along.

England made 305 in their first innings and after India could only muster 202 in response, the match seemed pretty much over. However, when India were set a target of 438, no one really gave them a chance despite the fact that they held the record for the highest chase in Test cricket at the time.

Gavaskar then proceeded to play one of his best innings in his career and after putting together 213 run opening stand with Chetan Chauhan, it looked like India might be in with a chance after all.

Gavaskar's superb technique, crisp stroke-making and intelligent management of the innings raised visions of a famous win that would also square the series. However, with only 49 more to win, he hit an on drive straight to David Gower at mid-on and with that India's chances of winning the game were killed.

Eventually, they finished 9 runs short of the target, and made 429. Out of those, Gavaskar had made 221 and the rest of the team made 181.