4 Batsmen To Score Two Consecutive ODI Centuries Against Australia In Australia

Scoring runs away from home is challenging; scoring in Australia against Australia is an arduous task. Even the best of the batters have found it difficult to adjust to the pace of Aussie bowlers and the extra bounce they get from the home surfaces.

However, when applied the correct technique, blended it with patience and courage, and with the kindness of the fickle luck, batters have recorded hundreds in the tough Australian conditions. Only a few players – countable on fingers – have notched back-to-back three-figure scores in the land down under.

Players to score consecutive ODI hundreds versus Australia in Australia:

Graeme Hick

In the tri-series in 1999, involving hosts Australia, visitors England and Sri Lanka, Graeme Hick became the first touring batsman to score consecutive hundreds in Australia against Australia. In the fifth match of the series, Hick scored 108 in Sydney and England won the close match by 7 runs.

In his next game against Australia, the right-hander once again scored a century. In a chase of 240, he made 109, however, England lost by 16 runs. The home side won the tournament, by defeating England twice in the best of three finals. Graeme Hick scored over 7000 runs in his international career with 11 centuries. The legendary batsman retired from cricket in 2008 with a total of 136 first-class centuries to his name.

VVS Laxman

Australia’s regular nemesis, VVS Laxman, makes it into this list as he recorded back-to-back hundreds in Australia in 2004. Laxman, who played ODI cricket for much less time than he played Test cricket, has hit 4 out of his 6 ODI hundreds against Australia.

In the 2004 tri-series down under involving India, Zimbabwe, and Australia, Laxman achieved this feat. In Brisbane versus Australia, he scored 103* as India posted 303, and won the game. Against the same opposition, the right-hander made 106* in Sydney. But this time, the men in yellow won the game courtesy of an Adam Gilchrist blitzkrieg of 95 from 72 balls.  Ricky Ponting’s team won the tri-series by defeating India in two finals.

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma has his cricket career shot up when he was sent to open in the 2013 Champions Trophy. The right-hander straightaway hit his purple patch – still in motion – in 2013. Since June 2013, the right-hander averages 59 in ODI cricket and has hit 27 centuries during this period.

Always an excellent player of pace bowling, in particular short-pitch bowling, it is no surprise that Rohit has an average of 78 in the Aussie conditions in his last 15 matches, with 5 tons- including his maiden double hundred in Bangalore.

In the 2016 limited-overs tour down under, Sharma recorded scores of 171* and 124 in the first two ODIs. Unfortunately, the men in blue lost both the matches. The opener was named Man of the Series as he ended as he amassed 441 runs in 5 matches.

Virat Kohli

In the same series in 2016. after Rohit, Virat Kohli etched his name this rare accomplishment. Arguably, the greatest white-ball batsman, Kohli, currently averages 50 in 27 matches in the Aussie conditions. Rohit smacked hundreds in the first two ODIs, Kohli made his back-to-back tons in the third and fourth ODIs.

However, his scores of 117 and 106 weren’t enough to prevent Steve Smith’s side from winning both the matches and the hosts won the series 4-1. The right-hander notched 2 centuries and 2 half-centuries in the 5 match series. Three years later, Kohli led the Indian side to a 2-1 ODI series victory against the Kangaroos.

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