Test Cricket is about a different level of resilience and patience that you need to exhibit in order to outclass others. However, there comes a time when you simply walk out in the middle to enjoy your batting and no matter whatsoever is the situation, you spawn a storm of sizeable proportions which is more than enough to take your opponents head-on.
We will look at Indians who have got the highest number of Test centuries those were scored in less than 100 balls. It necessarily won’t depend on the situation but entirely on the batsmen who were relentless with the bat.
1. Virender Sehwag – 7 times
The Indian opener who is an absolute non-conformist to the rules of confinement used to bludgeon bowlers at his own will. Known for his impudence with the bat, Sehwag went on to score 23 Test centuries in his career.
Despite lagging considerable footwork, his exotic stroke play and his fearlessness made him an even better batsman than the ones with decent footwork.
Out of these 23 centuries, the Sultan of Multan went on to score 7 centuries, consuming less than 100 balls in Test cricket. Once again, in the game of the red cherry, it isn’t only about being defensive.
2. Kapil Dev – 3 times
One of the best all-rounders of India who was a very effective batsman towards the lower end of the innings, especially striking fruitful partnerships with tail-enders, Kapil Dev was a naturally aggressive batsman. With India’s tail not having much to offer in those days, Dev had to play his shots on a belligerent note than to just hang in there.
One of India’s finest skippers achieved this herculean feat thrice in Test cricket. Situations that needed India to pack a punch in the most effective fashion to either impose a staggering target on the opponents or to put a mammoth first innings score, witnessed Kapil Dev at his aggressive best.
3. Mohammad Azharudin – 2 times
The style icon of Indian cricket and probably one of the most successful players as a captain, Mohammad Azharuddin was also known for his batting heroics alongside his acrobatic slip fielding.
Coming at number 3, he clobbered bowlers for a good deal of time and also achieved remarkable feats with his bat. One of those feats was to score two centuries in test cricket which consumed less than 100 deliveries. With zero mercy, he kept on hewing away at the bowlers to every nook and cranny of the park.
4. Shikhar Dhawan
Dhawan has had a mixed-bag journey in the longest format of the game. At times he has been brilliant, however, at times, he has been pretty mediocre. The selectors have given it a good deal of thought to check any potential replacements for this southpaw.
However, amidst all these, he has managed to score two centuries that took him less than 100 deliveries, stamping his dominance in the game. His strong wrists and perfect sense of timing make him a good pick for the overseas tournaments.
