In today’s weekend blog, I am writing about Test cricket.
Friends, as you know the calibre of the cricketer‘s technical knowledge and patience can only be seen when the cricketer plays a Test match. The batsman’s aim in the Test match is to score a decent score for the team while batting and all the batsmen aim to score at least 100 plus runs in a Test inning so that team can finish with a respectable total at the end of that inning. There are very few batsmen from every Test playing country who manage to score 100 + score in both innings of a Test match.
For India, a batsman scoring 100+ runs in both innings of a Test match happened nine times.
The list is as follows:
1 Vijay Hazare– he scored 100+ runs in both the innings of the Test match against Australia, at Adelaide in the year 1948. Australia batting first scored 674 runs. India in first innings scored 381 runs with Vijay Hazare scoring 116 runs and Dattu Phadkar 123 runs. Following on India scored 277 runs in second innings with Vijay Hazare scoring 145 runs. India lost the match.
2 Sunil Gavaskar– he scored century in both the innings of the Test match against West Indies at Port of Spain in the year 1971. India batting first scored 360 runs with Gavaskar scoring 124 runs, West Indies replied with 526 runs. India in second innings scored 427 runs with Gavaskar scoring 220 runs, and West Indies scored 165 for 8 in second innings. Match drawn.
3 Sunil Gavaskar– he scored century in both the innings against Pakistan at Karachi in the year 1978. India batting first scored 344 runs in the first innings with Gavaskar scoring 111 runs, Pakistan replied with 491 for 9 declared. India in the second innings scored 300 runs with Gavaskar scoring 137 runs, Pakistan scored 164 for 2 in second innings, and won the match.
4 Sunil Gavaskar– he scored century in both the innings against West Indies at Calcutta in the year 1978. India batting first scored 300 runs in the first innings with Gavaskar scoring 107 runs, West Indies replied with 327 runs. In the second innings India scored 361 for 1 declared with Gavaskar scoring 182 not out, West Indies just managed to save the match by scoring 197 for 9. Match drawn.
5 Rahul Dravid– he scored century in both the innings against New Zealand at Hamilton in the year 1999. New Zealand batting first scored 366 runs, India replied with 416 runs with Dravid scoring 190 runs. In the second innings New Zealand scored 464 for 8 declared, India replied with 249 for 2, with Dravid scoring 103 not out. Match drawn.
6 Rahul Dravid– he scored century in both the innings against Pakistan at Calcutta in the year 2005. India batting first scored 407 runs in the first innings with Dravid scoring 110 runs, Pakistan replied with 393 runs. In the second innings India scored 407 for 9 declared with Dravid scoring 135 runs, Pakistan could score only 226 runs in the second innings. India won.
7 Virat Kohli– he scored century in both the innings against Australia at Adelaide in the year 2014. Australia batting first scored 517 for 7 declared in the first innings, India replied with 444 runs with Kohli scoring 115 runs. In the second innings Australia scored 290 for 5 declared, India replied with 364 runs with Kohli scoring 141 runs. India lost the match.
8 Ajinkya Rahane– he scored century in both the innings against South Africa at Delhi in the year 2015. India batting first scored 334 runs with Rahane scoring 127 runs, South Africa replied with 121 runs. In the second innings India scored 267 for 5 declared with Rahane scoring 100 runs, South Africa could score only 143 runs. India won the match.
9 Rohit Sharma– he scored century in both the innings against South Africa at Vishakhapatnam in the year 2019. India batting first scored 502 for 7 declared with Sharma scoring 176 runs, South Africa replied with 431 runs. In the second innings India scored 323 for 4 declared with Sharma scoring 127 runs, South Africa could score 191 runs only. India won the match.
Have you noticed one thing from the above list, the greatest batsman in the world of cricket Sachin Tendulkar has never scored a century in both the innings of a Test match, although he has scored 51 Test centuries.
Waiting for your feedback on this blog.
Anil Malik
Mumbai, India
10th January 2025