Not many from a select band of Indian cricketers have enjoyed great success in their 100th Test. Ishant Sharma could well join the ‘minority’ though
Ishant Sharma. Picture/ AFP
As India pacer Ishant Sharma is all set to become the 11th Indian to play 100 Tests when the hosts take on England in the third match at the refurbished Sardar Patel Stadium on Wednesday, mid-day.com looks at how Indians have fared in their landmark Test.
Sunil Gavaskar: October 17-21, 1984, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (48 & 37)
Considered one of the greatest opening batsmen, Sunil Gavaskar is the first Indian to play 100 Test matches. He also holds the record for being the first cricketer to play 100 consecutive Tests. Having scored a career-best 236 not out in the previous match against the West Indies at Chennai, a lot was expected from the Little Master. He, however, couldn’t convert the start he received in the first innings, falling for 48 as India were bundled out for just 156, in reply to Pakistan’s 428-9 declared, thus encouraging Pakistan skipper Zaheer Abbas to enforce the follow-on. Gavaskar and Anshuman Gaekwad (60) gave India a good start, but the former failed to score big again after being trapped lbw by right-arm pacer Jalal-ud-Din. The match ended in a draw after Pakistan failed to dismiss the visitors in the second innings.
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Dilip Vengsarkar: November 24-28, 1988, Wankhede, Mumbai (25 & 0)
Mumbai man Dilip Vengsarkar enjoyed the rare honour of playing his 100th Test on the home ground. But it was a nightmarish game for the Mumbai batsman against New Zealand - 25 and 0. India went on to lose the second Test of the series by 136 runs as the visitors levelled the three-match series 1-1.
Kapil Dev: November 15-19, 1989, National Stadium, Karachi (4-69, 55 & 3-82)
On November 15, 1989, Kapil Dev became the first Indian pacer to play 100 Tests. However, the date is more memorable and celebrated by many ardent fans as the Test debut of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar against Pakistan. Kapil was awarded the player-of-the-match for his seven wickets in the game. He scored a quickfire 50-ball 55 to help India post 400-plus in the first innings. The opening match of the series ended in a draw. Interestingly, Kapil played his first and 100th Test against the same opponent.
Sachin Tendulkar: September 5-9, 2002, The Oval, London (54)
Sachin Tendulkar became the youngest man (29) to play 100 Tests. India’s batting maestro, who currently holds the record of most international Test matches (200), played his 100th Test in the fourth Test against England at the Oval. Batting first, England put up a mammoth 515. In reply, India lost openers Virender Sehwag (12) and Sanjay Bangar (21) early. In came Tendulkar at No. 4, who looked in great touch, smashing 10 fours en route his 91-run stand with Rahul Dravid before the former was trapped lbw on 54 by pacer Andy Caddick. India, in reply, scored 508, thanks to man-of-the-match Dravid’s 217. The series ended 1-1 after the final day was abandoned due to rain with England on 114-0 in the second essay.
Anil Kumble: December 18-22, 2005, Sardar Patel Stadium, Ahmedabad (2-87 and 5-89)
Anil Kumble is the first spinner to play 100 Test matches for the country. The leg-spinner grabbed seven wickets in the match, including a fifer in the second innings as India went on to register a mammoth 259-run win over Sri Lanka in the third and final Test to win the series 2-0.
Rahul Dravid: March 18-22, 2006, Wankhede, Mumbai (52 & 9)
Rahul Dravid had a match to forget after Team India failed to give the skipper a winning tribute as the hosts went on to lose the series-deciding third Test against England at Wankhede by a massive 212 runs. Dravid scored a half-century in the first innings but was dismissed in single digits in the second essay as India managed just 279 & 100 after England’s 400 and 191. The victory helped England level the three-match series 1-1.
Sourav Ganguly: December 26-30, 2007, Melbourne Cricket Ground (43 & 40)
Sourav Ganguly (then 35) is the oldest Indian to feature in the 100 Test club. Having scored 534 @ 89.00 in the previous series against Pakistan, the in-form batsman got good starts in both innings of the series opener against Australia at the iconic MCG, but couldn’t convert those into big scores, falling for 43 and 40 respectively. India lost by a massive 337-run margin.
VVS Laxman: November 6-10, 2008, VCA Stadium, Nagpur (64 & 4)
The fourth Test against Australia at Nagpur was ‘Very Very Special’, not just for VVS Laxman—playing his 100th Test—but also for wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni, who succeeded Anil Kumble as skipper in the longest format of the game. India’s 172-run victory at Nagpur was the icing on the cake as the hosts went on to win the four-match series 2-0. Laxman, who was in fine touch, having smashed an unbeaten 200 and 59 in the third Test against Australia at Delhi, continued from where he left off in the previous match. He shared a 146-run stand for the fourth wicket with centurion Sachin Tendulkar as India went on to post 441 in the first essay. Laxman (64), however, couldn’t make an impact in the second innings; clean bowled for four by off-spinner Jason Krejza.
Virender Sehwag: November 23-27, 2012, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai (30 & 9)
Big-hitting opener Virender Sehwag got off the mark in typical style, with a boundary off England pacer Stuart Broad between mid-off and extra cover. But the right-handed batsman couldn’t do much damage after being bowled by spinner Monty Panesar for 30. Sehwag scored nine in the second essay after falling victim to the left-arm spinner as England made merry by winning the second Test to level series 1-1.
Harbhajan Singh: February 22-26, 2013, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (1-87 & 2-55)
Harbhajan Singh reached the 100 Test landmark against his favourite opposition, Australia, during the series opener in Chennai. The off-spinner, who, prior to the Test, had claimed 90 wickets in 16 Tests against the Aussies, failed to make a big impact, claiming just three wickets in the match. India, though, won the game by eight wickets.
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