Test Match Cricket and its importance have been understood by all over the decades, and scoring Centuries at home in Test Matches by Indian players holds a special place in the heart of every player and cricket fans.
Sir Garfield Sobers had very aptly said that Test Cricket is the real examination, the ultimate test of a player’s temperament, endurance, and skills to showcase their real talent.
The Indian Cricket fans over the ages have shown their adulation and hero worship for these great Cricketers through their passionate and emotional bonding for performing with resilience and determination at home ground. The star Cricketers who have demonstrated their mettle while scoring centuries and winning the games for their country have created unforgettable moments which remain etched in our hearts till today.
Batting in home conditions is seen as both a challenge and an opportunity. The packed house & passionate Indian fans do expect their stars to dominate on familiar pitches, which have a mix of both pace and spin bowling.
There have been glorious instances and memorable moments of scoring match-winning centuries on home grounds, showcasing mastery over local conditions and mental toughness against top bowling attacks.
Indian Cricket has seen some great batsmen who have demonstrated their supremacy to the cricketing world. Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid, Cheteswar Pujara, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Gundappa Vishwanath, amongst others, are the true gems of Indian Cricket who have fascinated the Indian Cricket fans with their sheer dominance on the field. Scoring Centuries at home conditions requires a technical edge to navigate both pace and spin bowling.
This article highlights the most centuries by Indian players on home ground in Test cricket, capturing the remarkable moments and their achievements at home, stadium records, and future stars who may break them.
Most Centuries by Indian Players on Home Ground: Overview
| Rank | Player | Centuries in India | Total Test Centuries | Iconic Home Innings |
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 22 | 51 | 217 vs NZ (Ahmedabad), |
| 2 | Sunil Gavaskar | 16 | 34 | 236* vs WI (Chennai) |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | 14 | 30 | 243 vs SL (Delhi), |
| 4 | Rahul Dravid | 15 | 36 | 180* vs AUS (Kolkata) |
| 5 | Cheteshwar Pujara | 10 | 19 | 204 vs Eng (Ahmedabad) |
| 6 | Dilip Vengsarkar | 10 | 17 | 166 vs SL (Cuttack) |
| 7 | Gundappa Vishwanath | 10 | 14 | 124 vs West Indies (Chennai) |
| 8 | Virender Sehwag | 10 | 23 | 319 vs SA (Chennai) |
| 9 | Rohit Sharma | 8 | 10 | 212 vs SA (Ranchi |
| 10 | VVS Laxman | 8 | 17 | 281 vs AUS (Kolkata) |
Sachin Tendulkar: Champion of Champions- Highest Centuries in India
He remains the undisputed record holder in Test Cricket at home and also abroad. Sachin has crafted many memorable knocks while playing at home. His artistic display of copybook cricket shots has mesmerized millions of his fans worldwide.
While playing at home ground, he faced some great pace and spin bowling, against whom he proved his supremacy by scoring a record 22 centuries. A few of his memorable innings always come to mind when we remember great innings.
- India reeling at 2 for 6 in the 2nd innings and with a target of 278 to win and Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis were on fire. Sachin Tendulkar played a masterpiece, technically grafted, a sheer display of patience and determination. Sachin was at his best and scored 136 runs. None of the bowlers couldn’t produce a delivery that could penetrate his willow He stood like a rock, fighting to win.
- This was Sachin’s first double century in test cricket, scoring 217 runs vs New Zealand at Ahmedabad, in 1999, under trying circumstances is testimony to his superiority, wherein India needed to save the test match and win the series. It was a masterful knock, termed as a display of patience and technical superiority.
- Fresh from the victory in Kolkata, this test match was a real test of supremacy, and India needed to continue its winning streak for the series. Sachin, with his strokeful and classic approach, scored 126 runs vs Australia at Chennai in 2001, helping India score 501 runs in 1st innings. Sachin’s innings against the forceful bowling attack of McGrath, Shane Warne, and Gillespie remains an example to his dedicated batting.
- Sachin Tendulkar was asked once about his favorite Test knock. Tendulkar scored a hundred (103 runs) against England in Chennai in 2008, which he considers his most meaningful innings. It was the highest chase at home by India at that point.
- The test match against Australia at Chennai in 1991 was labeled a batting masterpiece by Sachin Tendulkar against spin bowling. Sachin scored 155 runs in 191 balls, and Shane Warne and other bowlers were at the receiving end in this innings from Sachin.
Sunil Gavaskar: ‘Sunny’, The Master of batting
Sunil Gavaskar is recognized as the first true Indian batting giant. Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary batsman, has demonstrated his technical abilities and excellent eyesight in tackling the best pace bowlers, starting with those from the West Indies. At home ground, he has scored 16 centuries; his batting against spin bowling and spinning tracks also mesmerized the cricket lovers.
Here are some of the most significant centuries by Sunil Gavaskar at home:
- It was a crucial performance against one of the most dominant and feared pace attacks of the West Indies in 1983 at Chennai. Sunil Gavaskar’s Scoring 236 runs against the feared bowlers, such as Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Andy Roberts, is regarded as a masterclass in carving an innings with sheer determination, patience, and unblemished artistry.
- Sunil Gavaskar tore into the West Indies’ fast bowlers at Delhi in 1983, demonstrating powerful hooks and pulls, and was at his best scoring runs at ease. His 94-ball century of 121 runs is a testament to his class, which was the fastest by an Indian batsman at the time.
- Sunil Gavaskar scored 119 runs in 1976 while batting at his home ground at Wankhede Stadium against New Zealand. Gavaskar always remembered this century as his first at home..
- In the inaugural match against West Indies at Wankhede Stadium in 1978, Gavaskar scored a mammoth 205 runs as Captain. It was a unique achievement in those days.
Virat Kohli: Modern Era Home Dominance
The decade between 2010 and 2020 saw the emergence of a new star. Virat Kohli has scored 14 centuries at home in Test cricket. The new era started. He proved his dominance from his Under-19 days to his recent retirement from Test cricket.
Virat has played many excellent knocks, filled with the athleticism of a champion and the superiority of a fighter. His memorable centuries at home ground have been rated as one of the best amongst all.
- Virat Kohli’s speciality in his innings of 243 runs against Sri Lanka in the Delhi Test of December 2017 demonstrated his fitness and supreme ability to bat for over seven hours. Though he scored seven double centuries in his career, this knock showed his temperament of batting under any circumstances.
- Virat had scored a powerful double century against South Africa at Pune in 2019. Virat completed his 7,000th Test run batting for eight hours while scoring 254 runs. This masterpiece also saw him surpass Don Bradman’s record for the most 150+ scores as a captain, marking his ninth such achievement.
- An epic fourth innings of 235 runs by Virat Kohli against England, studded with 23 fours and a six, demonstrated the extraordinary physical stamina that led to an innings victory at Mumbai in 2016. This Innings, clubbed with class and style, will be rated as a test of concentration on a pitch that showed assistance in spin bowling early.
- On a green seaming wicket, India failed in the first innings against tidy Sri Lankan bowling at Kolkata in 2017. It was up to Virat Kohli to play an innings of 104 runs`filled with technical supremacy, thereby leaving no chance for India to be under pressure in the test match.
- The pitch at Vizag in 2016, while India were playing England, was challenging with some balls keeping low and others turning sharply, yet Virat Kohli looked a class apart, playing with fluency and confidence, scoring 167 runs in difficult conditions. This paved the way for an Indian victory.
Compared to Tendulkar/Dravid, Kohli’s rate of scoring centuries at home is faster and often in match-winning causes. At home, Virat scored 14 centuries in 55 Test matches he played, averaging 55.58; Sachin scored his 22 centuries in 94 Test matches, whereas Rahul Dravid scored 15 centuries in 103 Test matches.
Rahul Dravid: The Wall
The Wall of Indian Cricket, Rahul Dravid, has scored 15 centuries at home ground. He is known for consistency and resilience against spin and pace bowling.
Rahul Dravid will always be remembered as one of the most dependable batsmen of this generation. His home centuries often played a crucial role in India’s victories, with several notable innings directly contributing to famous wins.
- After being forced to follow on, Dravid and VVS Laxman’s record 376-run fifth-wicket partnership led India to a 171-run victory. Rahul Dravid’s 180 runs against Australia in 2001, at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, crafted with extreme patience & determination, had set the stage for one of India’s most famous turnarounds in Test history in India, the most memorable wins.
- Rahul Dravid repeated the rare feat of scoring centuries in both innings of a Test. His twin hundreds of 110 and 135 runs were central to India’s 195-run victory. He was declared the Man of the Match award while playing against Pakistan in 2005 at Kolkata.
- India posted a massive total of 642 runs against Sri Lanka at Kanpur in 2009. Rahul Dravid scored 144 runs, and his innings paved the way for an innings-and-144-run victory.
- It was against New Zealand at Ahmedabad in 2003, where Rahul Dravid’s marathon 222 runs formed the foundation of a commanding first-innings total of 500/5 declared. This was after India batting first and struggling early. His patient and resilient knock saved India from an awkward position and put them in a position to force a draw.
Other Notable Indian Batsmen with Home Test Centuries
- Sourav Ganguly scored his all-time highest in test cricket in his home ground at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, against Pakistan in 2007. He scored a commanding 237 runs in this match.
- Md Azaruddin, the wristy batsman, has scored a few good centuries at home. His century of 182 runs against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in 1996-97, his favourite Cricket ground, is his best century.
- Ajinkya Rahane had scored 188 runs vs New Zealand at Indore in 2016, which is regarded as his best century. This is also his highest score. In this game, he mastered his techniques and played both pace and spin with total application.
Stadium-Wise Breakdown of Indian Centuries
| Eden Gardens, Kolkata | 38 centuries |
| Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi (Feroz Shah Kotla) | 36 centuries |
| MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai (Chepauk) | 30 centuries |
| Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | 25 centiries |
| Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad | 21 centuries |
| Green Park Stadium, Kanpur | 20 centuries |
With the above statistics, it is clear that Eden Gardens, Kolkata has recorded the maximum number of Test Centuries.
Records & Milestones
- Youngest Indian to score a century at home – Prithvi Shaw at 18 years and 329 days (134 vs West Indies, Rajkot, 2018).
- Fastest century at home in Tests – Md Azharuddin (74 balls vs SA, Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 1996).
- Highest individual score at home – Virender Sehwag (319 vs South Africa, Chennai, 2016).
Test Cricket, the ultimate examination of the game, has consistently seen the emergence of India’s batting stars, who have consistently proven their supremacy in Test cricket. These legends and the great Indian batsmen have taken it upon themselves for turn the home grounds into fortresses. Their performance in all conditions had proved their dominance at home.
From Tendulkar’s 22 centuries, Sunil Gavaskar’s 16 centuries, to Kohli’s modern brilliance and Dravid’s grit & determination, Indian fans have witnessed many unforgettable innings.
Indian Cricket is secured with the advent of bright stars who are performing and carrying the legacy forward. Young players like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Risabh Pant and the experienced player like KL Rahul, the new generation for creating waves in the domestic circuit looks bright and strong. The Indian batting supremacy at home in test cricket continues to grow stronger with every series.
FAQs
Q: Which Indian batsman has scored the maximum number of Test centuries at home?
A. Sachin Tendulkar, with 22 centuries, has the highest number of centuries in test cricket at home ground.
Q: Which Indian stadium has seen the most Test centuries?
A. Eden Gardens (Kolkata) has 38 centuries, the most of any ground.
Q: Who is the current active Indian player with the most home Test centuries?
A. From the current Indian stars, Shubman Gill (4 centuries) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (3 centuries) have the maximum centuries at home ground.
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