Top 5 Fastest Test Centuries By Indian Batsmen

Top 5 Fastest Test Centuries By Indian Batsmen; With the introduction of T20 cricket, batsmen have changed their outlook towards ODIs and Test matches and score at a rapid pace. Scoring a century in an international match is always glorious for any batsman in the world, but the satisfaction is immense when the hundred comes in a Test match.

Runs are scored comparatively slower in Tests compared to ODIs and T20s, but world cricket has always had aggressive players who made test hundreds in quick time.

Recently, Brendon McCullum scored the fastest century in Test history ever, a 54-ball effort that broke the record jointly held by Viv Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq.

Much like them, the Indian National Cricket Team also delivered the best batsman to the game of cricket, who can score runs at a brilliant strike rate.

Here, in this article, we came up with the top five fastest Test knocks played by the Indian batsmen.

Top 5 Fastest Test Centuries By Indian Batsmen:

5. Kapil Dev/Hardik Pandya – 86 Balls

The fifth place in the chart is shared by two brilliant all-rounders of India. One had already proved his calibre and became the legend of the game while the other is on the pursuit of greatness with his skills across the formats. The record was first created by Kapil Dev in Kanpur against England in 1981/82.

Hardik Pandya smashed his maiden Test century to power India to 487 in their first innings on day two of the third and final match against Sri Lanka.

India, who resumed the day on 329-6, lost an early wicket but overnight batsman Pandya kept up the lower-order fight with his blitz in an extended morning session in Pallekele.

Pandya, playing in his third Test, was dismissed for 108 after putting up 66 runs with Umesh Yadav for the last wicket.

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4. Shikhar Dhawan – 85 Balls

India opener Shikhar Dhawan created history by scoring a fastest-ever century on debut in Test cricket. The stylish southpaw also became the 13th Indian cricketer to slam a century on debut, scoring 104 not out off just 85 balls against Australia in the third Test at Mohali.

What was amazing was that Dhawan, effectively, scored his hundred in just one session. Dhawan’s knock of 104 not out was studded with 21 boundaries as the Australian bowlers had no answer to the onslaught which took them by surprise.

The left-handed opening batsman didn’t play a single stroke in the air during his innings and found boundaries at ease on both the sides of the wicket. His fantastic knock takes second place in the chart.

3. Virender Sehwag – 78 Balls

Third, on the list is Virender Sehwag – one of the deadliest and most aggressive batsmen in Test history. The former Indian opening batsman was known for his aggressive style and it is no surprise that he makes this list.

On India’s tour of West Indies in 2006/07, Sehwag scored a century in just 78 balls. The match was played at Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia, West Indies in the 2nd test of the series.

India made a mammoth total of 588 runs in their first innings. Sehwag spent 287 minutes on the ground, faced 190 balls, made 180 runs, scoring 20 fours and 2 sixes.

2. Mohammed Azharuddin – 74 Balls

The former Indian captain who is mostly known for his stylish batting, the joint-fastest centurion for India in the longest format of the game.

Against South Africa in 1997 at Cape Town, the right-hander scored 115 off 110 balls with the strike rate 104.54 including 19 fours and 1 six. In the same match, Sachin Tendulkar who was the captain at that time made 169 runs off 354 balls.

Mohammad Azharuddin made a quickfire century in the match. He made 107 runs from 77 balls and took 74 balls to reach the hundred. In doing this, he equalled the record made by his senior teammate Kapil Dev in 1986-87 season.

In his 132 minute innings, he scored 18 fours and 1 six with an impressive strike rate of 141.55. Though India lost the match by 329 runs, the match will be remembered by the glorious century made by Azharuddin.

1. Kapil Dev – 74 Balls

This is one of the many stats, which define the class of the legendary Kapil Dev. The former Indian skipper is number one on this list. He still holds the record for the fastest test century made by an Indian batsman.

This marvellous knock came in the 1986-87 Test series against Sri Lanka. Kapil smashed the ball to all parts of the ground and brought up his ton in just 74 balls.

Sri Lanka made 420 runs in the first innings at Green Park Stadium, Kanpur and Kapil Dev picked up two wickets in the first innings.

In the second innings, Kapil Dev took 74 balls to reach 100 runs and made 163 runs from 165 balls with a strike rate of 98.78.

In the 240-minute innings, he smashed 19 fours and solitary six. Indian all-rounder and legend scored 5248 runs in 131 matches in his career. Apart from runs, he took 434 wickets.