India is a country where cricket is a religion. In all the matches, the Indian side has a jam-packed stadium. There have been many great moments from this team, like winning the World Cup twice, winning the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy once, and many great players have represented the country like Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev, etc. Scoring against India, which has such a rich culture of producing cricketing heritage, is never easy. But some batsmen probably have India as their favourite opponent. In this list, we’ll see the top 10 players with the most centuries against India.
1. AB de Villiers
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers is a modern-day great of the game. De Villiers was a menace when he got going in any match, and India was never unknown. In the 76 innings that he played against India, De Villiers scored nine centuries and 13 half-centuries. The South African was pivotal many times for his team, with his power hitting helping them beat India on many occasions. However, even after his solid record against India, he has a big fanbase in the country as he’s a big part of the Royals Challengers Bangalore.
2. Michael Clarke
Michael Clarke is another great of the game of his time. He was a big part of the dominant Australian side during the 2000s and 2010s. Michael Clarkes’ class also haunted the Indian team. In the 70 innings that he played against India, he scored nine centuries and ten half centuries. Clarke had the number of the Indian bowling as he looked very well every time he played against India. His inspiring record against India is a testament to how well he played the Indian spinners.
3. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine Chanderpaul is one of the best batsmen produced by the West Indies in its history. Chanderpaul was a batsman who liked to stay on the crease and build his innings. He was one of the boogeymen for the Indian bowling attack. He scored nine centuries and 20 half-centuries in the 87 innings against the Indian side. He led the West Indies team with his bat against the Indian team many times.
4. Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene is one of the biggest names in Sri Lankan National team history. Jayawardene inflicted pain on the Indian bowlers many times with his resilient batting and focus on the pitch. He played 117 innings against India and scored ten centuries and 25 half-centuries. His best innings against the Indian team came in the 2011 ICC World Cup Final when these two teams met, and Jayawardene scored a century in a losing cause.
5. Sanath Jayasuriya
From one Sri Lankan great to another, Sanath Jayasuriya was the face of the Sri Lankan Cricket Team during the 90s and early 2000s. Jayasuriya was the man the Sri Lankan team looked up to when they were in a tricky game, and his record against India shows that he was the man for the Sri Lankan team. Jayasuriya played 105 innings against India and scored ten centuries and 16 half-centuries, being a big problem of India every time he turned up against them.
6. Kumar Sangakkara
This list is full of Sri Lankan players because of the similar sub-continental conditions. Kumar Sangakkara is said to be the best batsman and wicketkeeper in the Sri Lankan Cricket history. Sangakkara was a force to reckon with for the Indians as in the 103 innings that he played against the Indian Cricket team, he scored 11 centuries and 23 half-centuries. Sangakkara was always a problem for the pacers and spinners of the Indian team.
7. Viv Richards
The best way to describe Sir Viv Richards was to call him “fearless.” He was the most feared batsman of his generation who would come to bat on the crease against probably one of the best generations of fast bowlers without a helmet and then smash them out of the park. It was no different against the Indian team. Sir Viv Richards played just 67 innings against India and scored 11 centuries and nine half-centuries. The players of his time have always had respectful things to say about him.
8. Joe Root
One-forth of the FAB-4 of the modern day, Joe Root is one of the modern-day great. Joe Root has an impeccable record against almost every country he’s faced. Joe Root has been a talisman for the England Cricket team. Joe Root has had his moments of brilliance against the Indian Cricket team as well. He has batted for 70 innings against India and scored an impressive 12 centuries and 13 half-centuries. Joe Root has proved the difference between a win and loss for India.
9. Steve Smith
From one of the FAB-4s to another, Steve Smith has been a menace against the Indian Cricket team. Just like Joe Root, Steve Smith has been a talisman for the Australian team for a long time. Out of every legend on this list, Steve Smith has risen on the list very fast. In the total 66 innings that he played against India, he scored 14 centuries and 10 half-centuries. Out of these, he’s scored eight centuries in tests, five in ODIs and one in T20Is.
10. Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting is one of the best batsmen to step foot on a Cricket pitch. He was a great batsman as well as a great captain. Ponting was the face of the most dominant Australia during the late 90s and early 2000s. Ricky Ponting was always a big problem for the Indian bowlers, always giving them a hard time. He has scored the most centuries against India out of any player in the world. In the 111 innings played against India, he scored 14 centuries and 22 half-centuries, making him a headache to play against.
