In international cricket, the hallmark of great batting is to score centuries. But scoring them time and again against India-a team of diverse world-class bowlers in pressure-cooked environments-is something only a few players have so far achieved. These five batsmen not only conquered the Indian bowling attack, they did so across formats, continents, and decades.
5 Players With Most Centuries Against India
| Rank | Player | Total Centuries vs India | Test 100s | ODI 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Smith | 16 | 11 | 5 |
| 2 | Joe Root | 14 | 11 | 3 |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | 14 | 8 | 6 |
| 4 | Viv Richards | 11 | 8 | 3 |
| 5 | Kumar Sangakkara | 11 | 5 | 6 |
5. Kumar Sangakkara: 11 Centuries
- Total international centuries vs India: 11.
- Test: 5.
- ODI: 6.
- Total innings vs India: 97.
- Batting average: 44.19,
- With additional 50s: 23.
Fun Fact: His 6 ODI centuries against India were the most by him against any nation.
4. Vivian Richards: 11 Centuries
- Total international centuries vs India: 11.
- Test: 8.
- ODI: 3.
- Test stats vs India:
- Innings: 41
- Batting average: Above 50.
- ODI stats vs India:
- Innings: 26
- Runs: Half-a-thousand
- Average: 47.47
- Strike Rate: 99.50.
- His famous innings: 149 from 99 balls in Jamshedpur (1983).
3. Ricky Ponting: 14 Centuries
- Total international centuries vs India: 14.
- Tests: 8.
- ODIs: 6.
- Overall average against India: 47.
2. Joe Root-14 Centuries
- Total international centuries vs India: 14.
- Tests: 11.
- ODIs: 3.
- Unique Stat: Almost 1/3 of his Test centuries have come vs India.
- Major Moment: Scored his 11th Test century vs India at Lord’s, July 2025
1. Steve Smith-16 Centuries
- Total international centuries vs India: 16.
- Tests: 11.
- ODIs: 5.
- Notable Contributions:
- 4 Test centuries in the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar Trophy
- Match-winning hundred in the 2015 World Cup semifinal
- Consistency:
- 16 scores of fifty plus in Tests against India
- High conversion rate from fifties to hundreds
Conclusion
From Steve Smith’s surgical precision to Viv Richards’ fearless flair, these legends individually owned India’s bowling. Their centuries were more than mere figures; they were landmarks in the history of cricket.
These superstars scored with style and purpose and with skill that has seldom been seen as the arc of brilliant fast bowlers came and went from Kapil Dev to Bumrah, Kumble to Ashwin.
Written by RITESH SINGH
