Top 10 Test hundreds by Indian batsmen in England

With the overcast conditions in England naturally aiding swing bowling in addition to the grass-covering over the decks, the batsmen must be equipped with a solid technique and have greater powers of concentration to be consistently successful. Touring the Old Blighty since the early 1900s, India finally managed to register their first series victory over England in England only in 1971.Here is a look at the top 10 hundreds by Indian batsmen in England.

#10 106 Virender Sehwag, Nottingham, 2002

India’s opening batsman Virender Sehwag struck a fine hundred on the first day of the second Test, at Nottingham, of India’s 2002 tour of England. The right-hander did not look to hold back and started playing shots inspite of the overcast conditions assisting swing bowling.

India were coming into the Test match on the back of a defeat at Lord’s. Sehwag batted for 59 overs on the first morning at Nottingham and was finally dismissed for a 183-ball 106.

India managed to post a healthy first innings total of 357 and went on to draw the Test, thanks to a Rahul Dravid’s century (115) in the second innings. The drawn result kept India’s hopes of winning the Test series alive.

#9 103 Ajinkya Rahane, London, 2014

Ajinkya Rahane’s second Test hundred was the batting highlight for India in a memorable overseas Test match win at Lord’s in 2014. Rahane hit 103 coming in to bat at number five to take India’s first innings total past 275. The Mumbaikar’s effort was special because it involved batting with the tail after India were reduced to 145-7. Rahane and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (36) shared a 90-run stand for the eighth wicket.

India won the Test by 95 runs and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match Test series.

#8 146* Rahul Dravid, London, 2011

On an embarrassing overseas tour for the team, Rahul Dravid was the only Indian player to come out on top. Dravid’s third century in India’s 2011 tour of England, at the Oval, was not enough to avoid a fourth staright defeat for India, but it did enough to re-affirm his class as a Test batsman.

Ian Bell (235) and Kevin Pietersen (175) had taken England to a massive total of 591-6. India, meanwhile, had already lost the Test series and were playing just for the pride. Even that appeared hard to salvage when England picked up six Indian wickets with just 137 runs on board.

Dravid, though, playing as an opener, made sure that the visitors posted something of note; he carried his bat through in the first innings and finished on 146*. India were unable to avoid an innings defeat in the Test match, but the knock was a perfect example for his resolute technique and determination to succeed even in the dying years of his career. Not surprisingly, Dravid was voted as India’s Player-of-the-Series by the England cricket team.

#7 110* Anil Kumble, London, 2011

Anil Kumble took full advantage of a Day 1 flat wicket at the Oval Cricket Ground to notch up his maiden Test match hundred, in 2007. The leg-spinner remained unbeaten on 110* and also top-scored for India in the first innings total of 664. It was a special moment for India’s veteran spin bowler, and the entire Indian team shared the moment and applauded his effort.

What India managed was enough to play out a draw and, in turn, win the three match Test series 1-0.

#6 122 Sachin Tendulkar, Birmingham, 1996

Sachin Tendulkar batted like a true champion on the third day of Edgbaston Test match in June 1996. Tendulkar negated everything thrown at him by the England bowlers in challenging batting conditions to bring up his ninth Test match century (the next highest total in the innings was Sanjay Manjrekar’s 18).

India were traliing England by 99 runs at the end of the the first innings. The master walked out to bat after India were reduced to 17-2 and almost immediately started timing the ball beautifully.

India finished their second innings on 219 with Tendulkar himself scoring 122 of the runs. However, they lost the Test match by 8 wickets.

#5 121 Mohammad Azharuddin, London, 1990

One of the most astonishing innings in Test cricket that got over just as soon as it begun.

India’s Mohammad Azharuddin walked out to bat on a cloudy afternoon at Lord’s and silenced the entire stadium with an array of breath-defying strokes.

India’s first objective in the match was to avoid the follow-on after traling England by 653 runs in the first innings. Azhauddin, coming in at no. 5, walked out to join Dilip Vengsarkar (52) and took India’s total closer to 454: the exact total needed to avoid the follow-on. The Hyderabad batsman hit 22 fours in his knock and took just 111 balls to score 121. India were bowled out in 62 overs in the second innings and lost the Test by 247 runs, but Azharuddin’s effort stood out.

#4 131 Sourav Ganguly, London, 1996

Sourav Ganguly hit a hundred on his Test debut, at Lord’s: a royal entry to international cricket for the ‘Prince of Kolkata’, you would say. Ganguly, who was selected for the match to replace an injured Navjot Singh Sidhu, walked out to bat at number three in his first ever international innings.

The southpaw became the tenth Indian batsman to score a Test hundred on debut. While the Test ended in a draw, it will always be remembered for giving a debut to two of India’s greatest batsmen in international cricket (Rahul Dravid also made his Test debut in the same match).

#3 221 Sunil Gavaskar, London, 1979

Sunil Gavaskar nearly pulled off an improbable victory for India at the Oval in 1979 when he motored along to a double century on the final day of the Oval Test.

India were set a huge target of 438 runs to win the fourth and final Test of the series. Gavaskar and opener Chetan Chauhan (80) got India off to a good start, but it was the former who kept batting on, on Day 5. Even after Ian Botham dismissed Gavaskar with the scoreboard reading 389, a win still looked like a possiblity.

India’s middle order fared poorly, and, from 410-4, they fell to 423-8, eventually finishing on 429-8. Nine runs was all that separated India from victory and, perhaps, Gavaskar from going down in the history books as the architect of the greatest Test match innings.

#2 126 Dilip Vengsarkar, London, 1986

In the summer of 1986, India’s Dilip Vengsarkar continued his love affair with the Lord’s Cricket Ground striking his third Test century at the venue, thereby becoming the first overseas player to reach the feat. India won the Test match to go 1-0 up in the series.

Vengsarkar’s knock of 126 took India past England’s first innings total of 294. Kapil Dev picked up four wickets in the second innings, and India won the Test match when they chased down 134 in the fourth innings.

#1 148 Rahul Dravid, Leeds, 2002

Rahul Dravid, batting at his customary number three position for India, saw off a difficult spell of quality bowling from England’s bowlers in the first session of Day 1 and then made the most of the opportunity to capitalize on the situation.

Dravid, who walked out to bat in the seventh over of the first innings, shared two 100-run stands, with Sanjay Bangar (68) and Sachin Tendulkar (193). India finished their first innings on a massive 628-8 dec. and won the Test match by an innings margin. The win helped India level the series at 1-1.

Dravid was voted the Man-of-the-Match for his brilliant knock.