Full list of Indian batters who have faced more than 2,000 balls in Tests in England ft. Cheteshwar Pujara

Team India are all set to take on England in a five-match Test series, which will be played from June 20 to August 4. The grueling series will begin with the opening Test at Headingley in Leeds. With both sides having failed to qualify for the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final, they will be keen to kick off the 2025-27 WTC cycle on a positive note.

India have arrived in England with a pretty young side. They have a new captain in Shubman Gill, who was handed over the responsibility following the Test retirement of Rohit Sharma. The visitors will also miss Virat Kohli, who too has quit red-ball cricket, while Ravichandran Ashwin retired from international cricket midway through the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India have only won a total of nine Test matches in England so far. However, over the years, there have been some defiant performances from India's batters in England. In this feature, we look at the list of Indian players who have faced 2,000-plus balls in Tests in England.

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#7 Virat Kohli (2,111 balls)

A total of seven Indian batters have faced 2,000 or more deliveries in Tests in England and Kohli is at the No. 7 position. He played 17 Tests in England (33 innings) and faced 2,111 balls.

The former India captain scored 1,096 runs at an average of 33.21, with the aid of two hundreds and five half-centuries. Kohli's best of 149 was registered in Birmingham in 2018. He also scored 103 & 97 Nottingham in the same series.

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#6 Dilip Vengsarkar (2,167 balls)

Former India batter Dilip Vengsarkar had an impressive Test record in England. He played 13 matches in England and across 23 innings faced 2,167 balls. Vengsarkar scored 960 runs at an average of 48, hitting four hundreds and an equal number of half-centuries.

The former India cricketer is famous for his feat of scoring three consecutive hundreds at Lord's. He notched up 103 in 1979, 157 in 1982 and 126* in 1986. Vengsarkar also scored 102* in Leeds during the 1986 tour.

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#5 Gundappa Viswanath (2,187 balls)

One of the greatest Test batters India has ever produced, Gundappa Viswanath played 13 Tests matches in England. In 24 innings, he faced 2,187 balls and scored 858 runs at an average of 39, with one hundred and nine fifties.

Viswanath's best Test score in England was registered at Lord's during the 1979 tour. He scored 113 off 337 balls, hitting 14 fours during his 351-minute stay.

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#4 Cheteshwar Pujara (2,270 balls)

The resolute Cheteshwar Pujara is an expected name on the list. He has played 16 Tests in England and across 32 innings has faced 2,270 balls. Pujara has scored 870 runs in Tests in England, averaging 29, with one ton and five fifties.

Pujara's only Test hundred in England came in 2018 when he scored 132* off 257 balls in Southampton, a knock which featured 16 fours.

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#3 Sunil Gavaskar (2,755 balls)

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is at No. 3 on the famed list. He played 16 Tests in England and faced 2,755 across 28 innings. The Little Master scored 1,152 runs at an average of 41.14, with the aid of two hundreds and eight fifties.

Player	Balls faced	Runs	Average	HS	100s	50s
Rahul Dravid	3,081	1,376	68.80	217	6	4
Sachin Tendulkar	2,917	1,575	54.31	193	4	8
Sunil Gavaskar	2,755	1,152	41.14	221	2	8
Cheteshwar Pujara	2,270	870	29	132*	1	5
Gundappa Viswanath	2,187	858	39	113	1	9
Dilip Vengsarkar	2,167	960	48	157	4	4
Virat Kohli	2,111	1,096	33.21	149	2	5

(Stats of Indian batters who have faced 2,000-plus balls in Tests in England)

Gavaskar scored an iconic 221 off 443 balls in the fourth innings of the 1979 Test at The Oval. He also hit 101 in Manchester in 1974 before getting run out.

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#2 Sachin Tendulkar (2,917 balls)

Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar spent a lot of time at the crease in Test matches in England. He played 17 matches and in 30 innings faced 2,917 balls. The former India captain scored 1,575 runs at an average of 54.31, with the aid of four hundreds and eight half-centuries.

Tendulkar's best of 193 came in Leeds in 2002. He also scored 177 in Nottingham in 1996, 119* in Manchester in 1990 and 122 in Birmingham in 1996.

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#1 Rahul Dravid (3,081 balls)

Not surprisingly, Rahul Dravid holds the record for having faced the most number of balls by an Indian batter in Tests in England. In fact, he is the only Indian batter to have played more than 3,000 deliveries in Test matches in England.

The former India captain played 13 Test matches in England and in 23 innings faced 3,081 balls. Dravid scored 1,376 runs at an average of 68.80, with six hundreds and four fifties. His best of 217 came at The Oval in 2002. Dravid also scored 148 in Leeds during the same tour and 146* at The Oval in 2011.