5 Indian batsmen with most Test runs against England
India's tour of England is just about ready to move into the test match phase after India played a practice game against Essex. Although a practice game in overseas conditions helps predict the kind of surfaces one can expect in the series, it has posed some serious questions for the Indian team management.
For instance, opener Shikhar Dhawan has come back with a pair of ducks in the practice game, similarly, India’s go to Test player- Cheteshwar Pujara, managed a meagre 25 runs in a couple of innings.
Whether India should go ahead with them in the playing 11, or give other batsmen an opportunity to feature in the first test ahead of these experienced players will be a question that might trouble captain and the coach.
However, one thing is for sure, it is the batsmen who will decide the series for India. Here are five Indian batsmen who made a mountain of runs against England in Tests.
#5 Dilip Vengsarkar (1977-1990)
The Bombay batsman came to the limelight when he scored a quick-fire century against the Rest of India in an Irani Trophy encounter in Nagpur. The most striking part of that innings was the way Vengsarkar, then a teenager, toyed with Bishan Singh Bedi and Erapalli Prasanna, two of the country’s great bowlers and very well in the peak of their respective careers.
The tall right hander’s style was clear- simple but elegant stroke making that relied on timing and nothing else, and on his day he could spoil the bowling figures of the best of the bowlers.
Against England, Vengsarkar played 26 test matches and scored 1589 runs at an average of 42.94, slightly better than his career average of 42.13. His run scoring included five centuries and six half centuries.