5 Highest Scores By An Indian Batsman At The Sydney Cricket Ground

After levelling the series against Australia with a resounding win in Melbourne, the Team India will be intent on repeating their success in the New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Another victory will allow the Indians to retain the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Trophy and take a giant stride towards successive Test series wins Down Under.

Historically, the Indian team haven’t enjoyed the best of times playing at the SCG. In 12 outings, they’ve suffered five defeats and have had six draws. The standalone victory at the iconic venue came way back in the 1977-78 season when the Bishan Singh Bedi led team came out triumphant against an understrength Australian side affected by Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket.

While the results haven’t been in the team’s favour, Indians have produced some of their finest individual performances at the SCG. On the batting front, the ground has witnessed some of the greatest knocks played by Indian batsmen.

Five Highest Scores By An Indian Batsman At The Sydney Cricket Ground:

5. Sunil Gavaskar 172

On his last Test tour of Australia in the 1985-1986 season, the great Sunil Gavaskar produced one of his best hundreds on foreign soil. Taking a great liking to the Australian fast bowling, the batting maestro struck 172 runs off 400 balls. Gavaskar’s innings was glint with his picture-perfect defence and vintage strokeplay.

In all the batting legend made 19 fours during his stay. Gavaskar’s wasn’t the only hundred of the innings as Kris Srikkanth (116) and Mohinder Amarnath (138) also produced tons to take India to an insurmountable score of 600/4 declared.

Indian spin twin Ravi Shastri and Shivlal Yadav bowled terrifically thereafter to help their team dismiss the Aussies for 396 and enforce the follow-on. Shastri and Yadav were at their best again in the second innings. They looked like sealing a victory but the Aussies somehow managed to survive with a draw.

4. VVS Laxman 178

Throughout his illustrious career, Laxman reserved his best for the Australians. This was especially true of the classy batsman when he travelled outside India and arrived at the SCG. Laxman played four Tests at the venue spanned across different tours and scored hundreds in three of those.

On the 2003-04 tour, Laxman, having already blazed his willow for a century in Adelaide, struck another superlative hundred in Sydney. The very very special Laxman scored 178 runs off 298 deliveries and helped the team reach a humongous 705/7 declared in what was a series-deciding Test.

Unfortunately, the Indian team couldn’t go on and achieve victory. But Laxman’s century in the drawn Test ensured his great legacy on the SCG turf continued.

3. Cheteshwar Pujara

After making impactful centuries in India’s victories in Adelaide and Melbourne, Cheteshwar Pujara dug in for another marathon hundred in Sydney during the last Australian trip in 2018-19 season.

Leading the series 2-1 and deciding to bat first upon winning the toss, India needed to bat big and remove any possibility of an Australian win in the final Test. It’s in this backdrop Pujara produced a memorable innings of 193 off 373 balls to help take the Indian score to an impregnable 622/7 declared.

Despite dismissing the Aussies for just 300 in the first innings and enforcing the follow-on, the Indian team couldn’t achieve victory because of torrential Sydney rains on the final day. But Pujara’s epic knock had already ensured they stay in the ascendency and clinch their maiden Test series win in Australia.

2. Ravi Shastri 206

India’s current head coach Ravi Shastri has fond memories of touring Australia. In 1985, Shastri dominated the proceedings in the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket and ended as the ‘Player of the Tournament’ in India’s title-winning campaign. In Test matches, Shastri’s finest hour came on the 1991-92 tour where he scored an outstanding double hundred.

Shastri’s only Test double ton came at the SCG. A flat wicket alright, but he made full use of the conditions and kept the Australians on the ground for more than a day. The right-hander was especially severe on debutant Shane Warne and ended with his career-best 206 runs off 477 deliveries.

Shastri’s magnificent knock helped India overhaul the Australian score of 313 and take an intimidating lead of 170 runs. Sadly, though, the Indian team couldn’t come out of the game with a victory and had to settle with a draw.

1. Sachin Tendulkar 241

After enduring a rare lean patch in the first three Test matches of the 2003-04 series, ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar struck form and produced inarguably one of his greatest hundreds at the SCG.

Tendulkar defied the Australian fast bowling and overcame his nemesis of flashing riskily outside off. He did not play a single cover drive through his epic knock of 241 not out from 436 deliveries.

The Australians managed to come out unscathed from the game and ensured it is a draw. But Tendulkar’s innings remains fresh in the cricket lovers’ memories and was certainly one that enhanced the great man’s legend.