Introduction
Test cricket, which was started in 1877, is the oldest format of cricket. It is also one of the most popular. The longest Test match ever was 9 days (10 innings) between South Africa and England at Durban. 100 Test matches is a huge milestone for any cricketer. The record for most Test matches is held by Sachin Tendulkar (1987). Rahul Dravid (164), MS Dhoni (180), VVS Laxman (134) and Sunil Gavaskar (125) from India have followed him.
Here is a list of all Indian players who have played 100 or more Test matches:
- Sachin Tendulkar – 1987
- Rahul Dravid – 164
- MS Dhoni – 180
- VVS Laxman – 134
- Sunil Gavaskar – 125
- Virender Sehwag – 104
- Anil Kumble – 132
- Kapil Dev – 131
List of Indian Players Who Played 100 Test Matches
India has some of the most esteemed cricketers on the planet. Despite the obstacles, these players have accomplished the milestone of playing 100 Test matches. This article will examine the list of Indian players who have finished 100 Test matches. Topping the list are two legendary players, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.
Let us take a gander at the full list:
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is a legendary Indian cricketer. He’s renowned as one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history. In his 200 Test matches, he achieved a career-best score of 248* against Bangladesh. Additionally, he scored 109 centuries and 51 half centuries.
He holds many records, including
- most matches played (200)
- most 200s (6)
- highest individual score ever (248*)
He was the first batsman to hit 30,000 international runs, 100 centuries, and a double century in ODIs. He also became the first male player to appear in 200 Tests.
Tendulkar made his debut on 15 November 1989 vs Pakistan and played until his retirement on 16 November 2013, after a final match against West Indies in Mumbai. He’s one of only three Indian players to have played 100 Tests for India, alongside Kapil Dev and Rahul Dravid.
Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid, fondly called “The Wall“, is a renowned batsman in Indian cricket history. He was captain of India’s Test team from 2006-2007. He played 166 Tests over 14 years and scored 13,288 runs with an average of 52.31. He is fourth on the list of most appearances, behind Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag, with 143 innings and five double centuries.
Dravid earned his nickname ‘The Wall‘ for his remarkable ability to stay at the crease for hours and protect his wicket from any ball. He is one of seven players to have represented their teams over 100 times in Tests Matches. This shows his commitment to the sport and makes him one of India’s most legendary cricketers.
V.V.S. Laxman
Vangipurappu Venkata Sai Laxman, or V.V.S. Laxman, is an Indian cricketer from Hyderabad. He made his Test debut in 1996 and played for India until 2012. He was a right-handed batsman and batted mainly in the middle order in Tests, and top order in One Day Internationals (ODIs). His teammate Sourav Ganguly nicknamed him “Very Very Special“. He is known as one of India’s most stylish batsmen.
In his successful career, VVS Laxman played 134 Test matches in 16 years. He scored 8781 runs with an average of 45.97, 17 centuries, and 56 half-centuries. This makes him one of India’s most successful players in Test history.
In February 2018, Laxman became the 8th Indian player to join the 100 Test match club. He joined an elite list with Sachin Tendulkar (200), Rahul Dravid (164), Kapil Dev (131), Anil Kumble (132), Sunil Gavaskar (125), Virender Sehwag (104) and Dilip Vengsarkar (116).
Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble was a renowned Indian cricketer and captain of the national team. He played in 132 Test matches and is considered one of the best spin bowlers in cricketing history. He holds the record for most wickets taken by an Indian bowler in both Test and ODI formats, 317 and 337 respectively.
Kumble debuted against England at Manchester in 1990. His first five-wicket haul was home against West Indies at Ahmedabad in 1994. He took 6 wickets for 65 runs in 29 overs. In 1997, he completed 100 Test wickets when he dismissed England’s Stuart Law. That same year, he achieved his first 10-wicket haul against Pakistan.
Kumble became the highest Indian wicket-taker when he got his 300th test wicket on 13th December 2002. He also became only the second cricketer (after Jim Laker) to take all 10 wickets in an innings of a Test match. He’s been awarded the Arjuna Award (1995), Padma Shri (2005), and Padma Bhushan (2008).
Kumble retired from international cricket on 2 November 2008. He had played 124 Tests and 271 ODIs taking 619 total wickets – 352 from Tests and 267 from ODIs. His last Test was South Africa’s tour of India 2008. He took 3/50, but India lost by 10 wickets, which left the series drawn at 3–3. This is the only drawn series between the two countries till date.
Virender Sehwag
Virender Sehwag is an iconic Indian cricketer. He first played against South Africa in 2001, and went on to represent India in 104 Test matches. He was known for his powerful batting style, smashing shots all around the ground. He scored centuries many times and even achieved triple centuries twice – 309 against Pakistan at Multan and 319 against South Africa at Chennai. He was the first Indian and sixth player overall to score a triple century.
Apart from being a great batsman, Sehwag could bowl off-spinners too. He took 96 Test wickets at an economy rate of 3.50. He retired from Test cricket in 2013, having played 104 Tests, scoring 8586 runs and taking 96 wickets. His batting average was 50.85 and bowling average was 37.77, making him an ‘all-rounder’ in India’s team selection. He was successful in many series clashes, and also contributed heavily to domestic tournaments like IPL, Ranji Trophy and Deodhar Trophy.
Virender Sehwag has left an impression in India’s cricket history, inspiring younger generations that success is achievable with hard work and commitment.
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is a renowned Indian cricketer. He played for the India national cricket team from 1978 – 1994. He captained the team for most of the 80’s and 90’s. A record breaking 131 Test matches, surpassing Sunil Gavaskar’s 125 Test matches.
His career started off slow, but eventually he became India’s highest wicket-taker with 434 scalps and also holds the record for most wickets taken in a single innings (8 wickets for 73 runs). He was one of only two players (the other being Imran Khan) to have taken 400+ wickets and made 4000+ runs in their Test career.
Kapil Dev is remembered as one of India’s greatest all-rounders. He was instrumental in India’s first ever ICC Cricket World Cup win in 1983. Wisden named him the Indian Cricketer of the Century, making him the second cricketer, after Sir Garfield Sobers, to receive this honour since 1948. He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall Of Fame in 2010, becoming one out of five Indian cricketers (Raja Singhji, Lala Amarnath, Bishan Singh Bedi and Sunil Gavaskar) to have been given this honour.
Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, famously known as the “Little Master“, was a legendary Indian cricketer. He is renowned as one of the greatest opening batsmen in Test cricket history. Gavaskar held the world record for the most runs scored in Test cricket with 10,122.
He made his Test debut against West Indies in 1970-71, and immediately displayed tremendous batting flair and technique. In the 1973-74 tour, he broke the record for the most runs scored by a batsman on a tour (732 runs). In 1975-76, Gavaskar became the first batsman to score 10 Test centuries before turning 25.
Gavaskar’s career was extraordinary. He scored 10,122 runs from 125 matches at an average of 51.12. This included 36 centuries and 45 half-centuries. He played 100 Test matches for India and was victorious in 46 of them, securing him a place in the list of Indian players who played 100 Tests.
Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly, lovingly known as ‘Dada‘ among his fans, is renowned as one of India’s greatest cricketers. He debuted internationally in October 1996 against England at Lord’s cricket ground. He played a total of 113 Test matches for the Indian national team. When he retired in 2008, he had 11,363 Test runs with an average of 42.17. He captained the Indian side from 2000 to 2005. They achieved many historic victories, such as winning the world cup over Australia in 2002 and a record-breaking streak on overseas tours. This included victories in Pakistan and England.
It is estimated that Ganguly holds the record for the most centuries scored by an Indian Test batsman, with 11. His tremendous performance for the team gained him immense respect. He is one of India’s most loved players.
Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip Vengsarkar is a former Indian cricketer who played in 116 Test matches for India from 1976 to 1992. He is renowned for his technique, poise and discipline at the crease.
Vengsarkar made his debut against New Zealand in Delhi on 6 December 1976. His first century was against England in 1981 at Old Trafford with a score of 176. He earned 6 more centuries in Tests with an average of 44.35.
He amassed 3431 runs in 116 Tests with a top score of 166 and 9 centuries. He also played for Mumbai in Ranji Trophy – one of the premier domestic tournaments in the world. He became the first batsman to score 3000+ runs.
In 1989-90 season, he captained India, leading them to five consecutive wins – including tour victories over West Indies and Sri Lanka. This earned him a place in many hearts! He served Indian cricket for many years and is one of the greatest players ever!
Javagal Srinath
Javagal Srinath was a major Indian cricketer. The right-arm fast bowler played 4000 international matches for India, including 100 Tests. He made his debut in November 1991 in a Test against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He took 5 wickets and only gave up 32 runs to lead India to victory in four days.
By 2003, Srinath had 67 Tests, 307 ODIs and 1 T20I under his belt. He snagged 236 Test wickets and 315 ODI wickets, giving him a total of 783 international scalps.
Srinath was mainly known for his technical bowling and accuracy. This got him to the top of ICC rankings as the world’s number one fast bowler for a few months in 2001-02 season. He set several records, such as:
- fastest Indian to reach 50,100 and 150 Test wickets;
- first Indian pace bowler to cross 200-wicket mark in ODIs;
- only Indian with two ten-wicket hauls in Tests;
- and many other records.
He is one of India’s finest bowlers!
Conclusion
These players have achieved a major feat – playing 100+ Test matches for India. It takes skill and endurance for such consistency. Most of them are batting all-rounders, the middlemen between top and lower order. Spin bowlers entered in 70s, while seam bowlers in 90s.
These legendary players have performed at elite levels and featured in India’s victories. They were instrumental in India’s test cricket dominance in the late 20th century, and deserve to be recognized. India’s finest talent, they will continue to inspire generations!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Who are the Indian players with 100 Test matches?
A1: The Indian players with 100 Test matches are Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, Anil Kumble, and VVS Laxman.
Q2: How many times did Sachin Tendulkar play Test matches?
A2: Sachin Tendulkar played 200 Test matches in his career.
Q3: Who has the most Test matches for India?
A3: Sachin Tendulkar has the most Test matches for India with 200.
