As the first test match will be stuttering into its final day where India will be chasing 381 runs from 90 overs that not only looks herculean but sounds almost impossible, we will be looking at another incredible piece of record in this story that was penned by an English captain, Joe Root.
It was Joe Root’s sublime knock in the first innings that propelled England to their astronomical score of 578. A double-century from Root left India reeling in agony. Though India managed to pull things back in the second innings, courtesy of Ravichandran Ashwin’s six-wicket haul, the early departure of Rohit Sharma has put India under the sword that will need some titanic display from someone to bail India out.
In this story, we will be looking at cricketers who managed to score the highest number of half-centuries in their first hundred Test matches.
- Joe Root – 69 half-centuries
Root has been one of the most reckoning forces in the longest format of the sport and his presence in the national team has helped England on several occasions. He has managed to smash 69 fifties in his long-spanning career that makes him the leading name in the long list of remarkable cricketers.
- Sunil Gavaskar – 66 half-centuries
The original master blaster of India, Sunny Gavaskar was one of the best batsmen to have graced the game. In fact, he faced the might of burly fast bowlers for whom kissing 150 clicks was no big deal. What made the arrangement even more audacious was a helmet that had no grille. Imagine what it would have felt like when a towering fast bowler hurled at you and then released a bullet that you either traded with panache or flicked it towards the ropes. He managed to garner 66 half-centuries in his long-spanning career.
- Brian Lara – 65 half-centuries
One of the best southpaws, cricket has ever seen, a man whom even the nasty Australians was scared to sledge, Brian Lara holds the record of the highest runs in a single innings in a Test match. He smashed a blistering 400 from only 582 balls. The grace with which he batted and dispatched the bowlers were simply stunning to watch and the way he carried himself on the pitch gave out an aura of indispensability. He managed to garner 65 half-centuries in his first hundred Test matches.
- Sachin Tendulkar – 64 half-centuries
The man of the diminutive stature, who traded Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralidaran, Shoaib Akhtar, and other ferocious bowlers of the sport without any ado, the man who started drawing comparisons of himself with the best batsman of the world, Sir Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar is number four on the list. May it be smacking bullets from fast bowlers or curlers from magical spinners, Sachin has penned countless records next to his name. He has managed to amass 64 half-centuries in his first 100 Test matches.
- Rahul Dravid – 64 half-centuries
The Wall of India was known for his exquisite batting technique and his enduring resilience. The way he used to get on top of the balls and clobber them to the ropes was a sheer delight for the eyes. Those vintage cover-drives, those classic pulls and the unbreakable stance of defence, Rahul Dravid was India’s most lucid appellation of endurance and techniques. Dravid scorched 64 half-centuries in his first hundred Test matches.
