6 established batsmen who scored more Test ducks than centuries

'Zero' is the worst number a batsman can have in front of his name on the scoresheet. Zero is the epitome of failure. It signifies shame.

But there are batsmen who digested the pain of scoring a zero several time in their life and still ended their careers as a successful batsman.

These great men didn't deter from the occasional failure and focused on starting a new inning in the next game. Thanks to their determination and persistence, they went on climb ladders of success .

Meet six such quality batsmen who have scored more ducks in their career than Test hundreds and see how they prevented their occasional failure from affecting their greatness.

#6 Mike Gatting- 10 hundreds, 16 ducks

Mike Gatting experienced everything in his cricket career. He was loved for his gutsy batting, he was envied for the surprising success he achieved as the captain and he was also hated for his straightforward behavior on and off the ground.

Gatting was England's pillar in the batting department during the 1980s and he came out to bat various positions and on most occasions walked back after putting England in a commanding position.

More than four thousand runs in 138 innings and 10 Test centuries reflect his batting prowess but one interesting stat about Gatting is the number of his ducks. During his 79 Tests, he was out for a zero on sixteen occasions.

Ten Test hundreds and 16 zeros exhibit the inconsistency in Gatting's batting.

#5 Mike Atherton- 16 Hundreds, 20 ducks

Michael Atherton was epitome of England's resistance

South Africa set England a near-impossible target of 479 runs in the fourth-innings and gave themselves around two days of time to claim ten wickets. For the likes of Alan Donald and Shaun Pollack, two days on a tiring Johannesburg pitch were enough to pulverize a visiting team.

And then the impossible happened. England stood tall on the fourth and the fifth day to deny South Africa a victory and pull-off an impossible draw. At the forefront of this incredible rear-guard was their 27-year-old captain Mike Atherton who batted for more than ten hours to pile up 185 hard runs.

That innings which lasted for 492 balls defined Atherton's batting career. He was resolute, tough and staunch. Like many other quality batsmen, he would rarely miss an opportunity to flourish after making a start.

The best time to get him out was when he was fresh at the crease. And the stats support this claim. The England opener has 20 scores of zeros in his Test career of 212 innings and also has sixteen hundreds to his name.

Hence, bowlers across the world gave it theie all to topple Atherton during the early part of his inning because they knew, if he got set, the match would be done and dusted.

#4 Marvan Atapattu- 16 centuries, 22 ducks

Marvan Atapattu was tough and determined

After scoring six ducks in his first seven Test innings, Marvan Atapattu's cricket career should have been doomed. But it didn't. Instead, Atapattu ended his career as one of Sri Lanka's best batsmen ever and had six double-hundreds to his name, the most by any opener in Tests.

It was Atapattu's never-say-die attitude that allowed him to repair his horrific start in Tests. However, his romance with the number 'zero' continued during the later part of his batting career as well. In his 156 Test innings, he was dismissed for naught on 22 occasions.

At the same time, the ex-Sri Lankan skipper was a prolific run-scorer and amassed more than five thousand Test runs. He also has sixteen centuries under his belt.

#3 Sanath Jayasuriya- 14 hundreds, 15 ducks

Jayasuriya redefined aggression in cricket

Before the Chris Gayles and David Warners made a habit of tearing apart bowlers with their swashbuckling batting, there was Sanath Jayasuriya.

The Sri Lankan batsman pioneered aggression at the top of the batting order and was the first batsman to use the fearless brand of cricket to counter the new ball. He was majestic, elegant and entertaining. His hundreds were a delight to watch as it would be a complete package consisting of incredible drives, ferocious cuts, and powerful flicks.

However, Jayasuriya's aggression came at a price. The left-hander's all-out aggressive policy made him highly inconsistent in cricket and on numerous occasions, he would throw away his wicket while looking for quick runs.

He was dismissed for zero 15 times in his 188 Test innings but even after his inconsistent performances, he remains one of the most popular cricketers of his era.

#2 Brendon McCullum- 12 hundreds, 14 ducks

McCullum was the perfect 'boom and bust' cricketer

Brendon McCullum was a maverick all-rounder. He was an acrobatic wicket-keeper, a sensational fielder, an innovative captain and a cool-headed sportsman. But his primary identity was of a flamboyant batsman who stepped out of his crease to pacers and spinners alike and could nonchalantly hit strokes which were deemed to be dangerous by traditional batsmen.

When at the crease, he guaranteed entertainment with his aggressive batting and delivered plenty of action. The only way to neutralise his threat was to send him back to the dressing room.

The New Zealand cricketer was the perfect example of a 'boom and bust' batsman. If it wasn't his day, he would be back in the pavilion in no time, but if it was his day then everyone else would be back in the pavilion very soon because McCullum believed in finishing the game quickly.

He has to his name 14 ducks in Test cricket but he also slammed 12 Test hundreds displaying his batting prowess.

#1 Mohinder Amarnath- 11 Test hundreds, 12 ducks

Mohinder Amarnath

One of India's most inconsistent players of all, Mohinder Amarnath had a roller-coaster ride during his career.

He was the man-of-the-match in the 1983 World Cup final but one year later was out of the national team. He made several comebacks in his Test career and was known to score runs during tough times.

The moving ball was his weakness and he was often troubled by the pacers in conditions that aided swing bowling. However, he did find a way to negotiate the threat of the moving ball in the latter part of his career, but he remained vulnerable to short deliveries in the early phase of his inning.

In 69 Tests, he amassed 4378 runs at an impressive average of 42.50. He ended his career with 11 Test hundreds out of which nine came in overseas Tests. But thanks to his inconsistency and technical weaknesses, he also has 12 ducks in his Test career. Out of those 12 ducks, five were scored against West Indies in 1984 in six innings. These five zeroes in six innings were responsible for his nickname 'Mr. Amarnought."