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Which Indian batsman has scored the most Test centuries against England? In 1984/85, a callow Hyderabadi youth made his Test debut against England at Calcutta and quickly made his presence felt, notching up 110 off 288 balls. In the very same series, in the next two Tests, Mohammad Azharuddin racked up two more centuries, becoming the first, and so far only, player to score three centuries in his first three Tests. For Azharuddin, though, the party against England had just started. After a lacklustre series in 1986, he surged back in 1990, this time at the helm of his team. Undaunted by Graham Gooch's first-innings 333 at Lords, Azharuddin hit 121 off just 111 balls, striking 22 fours in his knock. Although his century helped India avoid the follow-on, an admirable achievement in itself, it did not stop England from registering a 247-run win. England were the beneficiary of yet another Gooch century in the next Test at Manchester, but India had found their own performer-of- the- series in Azharuddin. Making 179 off 243 balls, with 21 fours and one six, he played a lone hand. Along with Sachin Tendulkar's second- innings hundred, Azhar's ton went a long way in honourably drawing the Test. Losing that series 1-0, Azhar could barely wait till England returned the visit. The first chance he got, back in his favourite venue of Calcutta in 1993, he ravaged the hapless English attack to the tune of 182 off 197 balls, hitting 12 fours and a six. England lost that Test, and the remaining two in the series as well, leaving Azhar with an average of 58 and a tally of six centuries against the English. Although that record has stood for some time, Tendulkar has always been the prime candidate to equal it. With five centuries against the English before the start of the Bangalore Test, a hundred at the Chinnaswamy stadium would see him draw level with his former captain. No doubt Azhar himself would feel that there is no better candidate to do so.
For more details on all the above facts check out [ StatsGuru ]
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