India has always produced some quality bowlers, be it pacers or spinners. So it’s a challenge for opposition batters to score runs against the Indian bowling attack, especially on turning tracks.
But, over the years, we have seen a few batters overcoming this challenge and scoring runs with freedom. And not just ordinary runs, but big knocks, including centuries.
Scoring a century is a matter of pride for any batter, and to do that against India is even more special.
So here are the top 10 batters with the most centuries against India in all formats of cricket.
10. AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 9
Known for his 360-degree shot-making, AB de Villiers features at No. 10 in this list. The former South African batter smashed nine centuries against India across formats.
Out of those, six centuries came in ODI cricket, with three of them alone coming in the 2015 series. The rest three were Test hundreds, with de Villiers converting his maiden ton into a double in the 2008 Ahmedabad Test. His unbeaten 217 is also his highest score against India.
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9. Michael Clarke (Australia) – 9
The former Australian captain, Michael Clarke, is among his countrymen who found great success against the Indian bowling attack. He mustered nine centuries against India in all formats, with seven coming in Tests.
Clarke’s unbeaten 329 will remain a memorable knock against India, which washed away the visitors in Sydney in 2012. He also scored 2972 runs in 56 matches across formats versus the Men in Blue.
8. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) – 9
Shivnarine Chaderpaul was the saviour of the West Indies batting lineup during their downtime. The left-hand batter also stood up to the challenge of Indian bowlers at home and away.
Chanderpaul accumulated nine hundreds against the Indian team in all formats, with two of them coming in ODIs. He also scored 3531 runs in 73 matches, which is the most by a West Indies batter against India.
7. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 10
Mahela Jayawardene sits at No. 7 with his 10 hundreds against their neighbour. He started his century quest with a 242-run knock in 1999 before smashing his highest of 275 a decade later.
The former Sri Lankan skipper scored six centuries in Tests and the other four in ODIs, along with 4563 runs in 110 matches at an average of 42.25.
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6. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 10
Sanath Jayasuriya is another Sri Lankan batter with 10 hundreds against India in all formats. The aggressive left-hand batter provided Sri Lanka with quick starts, especially in ODI cricket.
That also translated into his successful run against India as Jayasuriya hammered seven centuries in ODIs against India. He added three tons in Tests, with his highest score of 340 also coming in this format.
5. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 11
Third Sri Lankan on the list, Kumar Sangakkara occupies the fifth spot with 11 centuries. The former wicketkeeper-batter scored six ODI tons and five Test hundreds against India.
Sangakkara often paired with Jayawardene to tire out the Indian bowling attack. He also accumulated 4287 runs in 97 matches at an average of 44.19.
4. Vivian Richards (West Indies) – 11
Before the rise of modern-day batters, it was Vivian Richards who terrorised Indian bowlers with his batting. The West Indian great slammed 11 centuries against India during the Caribbean side’s golden run in world cricket.
In his only second Test against India, Richards showed his mettle with an unbeaten 192, which powered the Windies to win by an innings. This is also his highest score against the Indian team.
Richards crossed the 100 mark 11 times in Tests and three times in ODIs against India, while amassing 2924 runs in 59 games.
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3. Joe Root (England) – 13
Joe Root has relished his time against India, where he has scored significant runs along with huge knocks. The England batter has brought up 13 hundreds against the Men in Blue in three formats.
Out of those, only three have come in ODIs, while he slammed the other 10 in Tests, showcasing his brilliance in red-ball cricket. Root also boasts a tally of 3746 runs in 59 matches at an average of 52.76.
2. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 14
The Australian batters have enjoyed their batting against Indian bowlers. And Ricky Ponting further solidifies the fact.
The former Australian captain smashed 14 centuries versus the Indian team in all formats. His eight tons came in the longer format, while the remaining six came in 50-over cricket.
Ponting’s best score came in the 2003 Boxing Day Test, where he tormented the Indian bowling attack with his 257-run knock. His overall run tally of 4795 is the highest by any batter against India in all formats.
1. Steven Smith (Australia) – 16
Steven Smith holds the record for scoring the most centuries against India in all formats. The Australian batter has racked up 16 tons in Tests and ODIs combined.
His 11 Test centuries against India are also the most by any opponent batter, with seven hundreds coming in the 2014-15 and 2017 BGT series. His performances in both series were remarkable before scoring a match-defining 121 in the 2023 World Test Championship final.
Smith has also surpassed the three-digit figures against India in ODIs five times, which takes his tally to 16 hundreds in all formats. He has also amassed 3858 runs across formats against India at an average of 52.84.
