IND vs ENG 2021: 3 legends who have played 90+ Test matches on home soil
Playing a Test match at home is special for any cricketer in the world. The player grows up playing in the home conditions.
He has a good idea of the pitch and weather. Also, the fans back the home team on most occasions. The cheering from thousands of fans boosts the confidence of the player.
If a cricketer has a long Test career, it generally features an almost equal number of home and away matches. Hence, even playing 50 home Test matches is a considerable achievement for any cricketer.
Very few cricketers have been able to play more than 85 Test matches on home soil
Some of the famous cricketers who have played more than 85 Test matches on home soil are Allan Border (86), Jacques Kallis (88), Steve Waugh (89) and Sir Alastair Cook (89).
Only three cricketers have played more home Test matches than the big names mentioned above. In this listicle today, we will look at the three players who have represented their nation in 90 or more home Tests.
3. Ricky Ponting - 92
Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is one of the three cricketers to have played more than 90 Test matches on home soil. He holds the record for the most home Test appearances among all Aussie players.
Ponting played 92 home Test matches, where he batted in 154 innings and aggregated 7,578 runs at an average of 56.98. His batting average in Australia was much better than his average (46.40) in overseas conditions.
Ponting registered 23 centuries and 38 fifties in Australia. He also recorded his best Test score of 257 at home against India in 2003.
2. Sachin Tendulkar - 94
Former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer to have been a part of 200 Test matches. Interestingly, he played 12 Test matches less at home compared to overseas Tests. Tendulkar represented India in 94 home Tests.
He held the record for the most home Test appearances by a cricketer until today. In his 94 home games, Tendulkar batted in 153 innings and aggregated 7,216 runs.
Interestingly, his batting average at home (52.67) was less than his overseas batting average (54.75). Tendulkar even recorded his highest Test score of 248* outside India.
1. James Anderson - 95*
English fast bowler James Anderson broke Sachin Tendulkar's record for the most home Test appearances in cricket history today. The ongoing Kennington Oval Test match between India and England marks Anderson's 95th appearance in a Test on English soil.
Before this match, Anderson played 94 home Tests, scalping 400 wickets at an economy rate of 2.82. He achieved his best figures of 7/42 on home soil, while all three of his 10-wicket match-hauls have come in England.
So far in his career, Anderson has bowled 900 maiden overs at home.
At 39, he is still one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in Test cricket. It will be interesting to see if James Anderson can become the first player to reach the 100 home Test matches milestone.