5 times India scored 400 in an innings without anyone getting a century
India hold the upper hand in the first Test against England at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad despite Ollie Pope's century on Day 3. The visitors won the toss on Day 1 and batted first. They got off to a strong start, but the hosts fought back to restrict England to 246 in 64.3 overs as spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja claimed three wickets each.
Team India put up a solid response to post 436 in 121 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal got the hosts off to a cracking start, smashing 80 off only 74 balls, a knock that featured 10 fours and three sixes. Following his dismissal, KL Rahul anchored the innings and contributed 86 off 123 balls, striking eight fours and two sixes.
India ended Day 2 of the match at 421/7 and were eventually bowled out for 436 on Day 3. Ravindra Jadeja, who was unbeaten on 81 overnight, was dismissed for 87. India thus posted a 400-plus total without a single batter crossing the century mark.
On that note, let’s revisit five other instances when India scored more than 400 runs without a batter notching up three figures.
#1 (402) vs Australia in Perth, 1977
India put up a competitive total of 402 all out in 80 overs after winning the toss and batting first at the WACA in Perth in December 1977. Opener Sunil Gavaskar was dismissed for 4, caught behind off Wayne Clark. Chetan Chauhan and Mohinder Amarnath then added 149 runs for the second wicket.
The fine stand was broken when Chauhan was dismissed by Bob Simpson for 88 off 151 balls. Amarnath’s knock ended on 90 off 156 balls as he perished to pacer Jeff Thomson. Amarnath’s innings ended up being the highest score of India’s innings even as Dilip Vengsarkar and Madan Lal contributed 40s, while Gundappa Viswanath, Syed Kirmani and Srinivas Venkataraghavan hit 30s.
Australia responded with 394 after which India declared their second innings at 330/9. Set to chase 339, the visitors got home by two wickets as Tony Mann scored 105 off 165 balls, while Peter Toohey smashed 83 off 140 balls.
#2 (410) vs England at The Oval, 1982
India posted 410 in response to England’s first-innings total of 594 at The Oval in July 1982. Batting first after winning the toss, the visitors notched up a huge total on the back of Ian Botham’s 208 and Allan Lamb’s 107.
India needed to put up a good defiance in response and Ravi Shastri scored a dogged 66 off 175 balls, opening the innings. Gundappa Viswanath hit 65, while Sandeep Patil contributed 62.
Kapil Dev played a brilliant knock and was looking good for a hundred, but was out for 97 off 93 balls, caught off Phil Edmonds’ bowling. The high-scoring match ended in a draw.
#3 (429) vs Bangladesh in Dhaka, 2000
In Bangladesh’s maiden Test match in Dhaka in November 2000, India again put up a 400-plus total without a single batter reaching three figures. Hosts Bangladesh batted first after winning the toss and came up with a highly impressive effort to post 400 courtesy of Aminul Islam’s 145.
India responded with 429 to take a slender lead. Opener Sadagoppan Ramesh contributed 58 and skipper Sourav Ganguly hit 84, but it was all-rounder Sunil Joshi who top-scored with 92. Coming into bat at No. 8, he hit nine fours in his 180-ball knock.
Joshi had earlier claimed five wickets in Bangladesh’s first innings. The Indian bowlers combined to knock over the hosts for 91 in their second innings and then chased a target of 63 with nine wickets in hand.
#4 (411) vs South Africa in Kolkata, 2004
India scored 411 all out in their first innings against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in December 2004. The Proteas had batted first in the game and had put up a decent total of 305. India gained a significant lead by posting a 400-plus total in response.
Opener Virender Sehwag set the tone with an aggressive 88 off 118 balls. He ended up being the top-scorer in India’s innings as Rahul Dravid contributed 80 off 247, while Ganguly (40), VVS Laxman (38) and Dinesh Karthik (46) came up with useful knocks.
Harbhajan Singh then claimed seven wickets in South Africa’s second innings as the Proteas were bowled out for 222. Set a target of 117, India got home by eight wickets as Dravid (47*) and Sachin Tendulkar (32*) guided the chase.
#5 (405) vs Australia in Mohali, 2010
Responding to Australia’s first innings total of 428 in the Mohali Test in October 2010, India posted a competitive 405 to stay in the game. The Aussie innings saw Shane Watson compile 126 off 338 balls, while Tim Paine scored 92 off 196.
For India, Sehwag starred again at the start, smashing 59 off 54 balls. Dravid contributed 77 and Suresh Raina a highly impressive 86. Of all the batters that got their eye in, Tendulkar was the only one to reach the 90s. However, he could not convert it into a three-figure score. On 98, he was trapped lbw by Marcus North.
Australia were then bowled out for 192 in their second innings. Chasing 216, India famously sneaked home to a one-wicket win courtesy of Laxman’s splendid 73* off 79 balls under pressure.