6 established batsmen who scored more Test ducks than centuries

#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.