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In accordance with the basic generally-accepted thumbrule for most prominent and capable cricketers, it is required to excel with the bat against tough opponents. And in order to be considered popular or revered talents, it is also necessary to strike hundreds in the opponent's own territory.
Take, for instance, the example of Team England. While there have been many like Sir Gavaskar, Sir Vengsarkar, Dravid, Ganguly and of course, Sachin who have mesmerising centuries in England to their name, there are also those who have failed to hit even a single Test hundred when batting in England.
So which prominent names from Indian Test cricket never made a single ton in England?
List of Indian Cricketers who could not score a single test hundred in England:
Gautam Gambhir
Playing then just his third ever Test inning against England, the stylish left hander struck back in the year 2008 a prolific 178 at the IS Bindra Stadium of Punjab. However, not once did Gambhir, the team’s current national head coach, was able to reach a three figure mark when batting in England.
His highest score against the noted opponent remains 38, which he scored in 2011 in the Edgbaston Test. This was the brilliant Rahul Dravid versus all of England series where none barring the 'Great Wall of Indian Cricket' was able to do any justice to the contests.
Later on in his career, Gambhir did hit a couple of Test fifties versus England back home in India, one each at the Eden Gardens and Wankhede but he could not stroke a century when playing in England. And that’s a shocker.
VVS Laxman
Not a very very special record when batting in England.
Highest score of 75 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat remains his highest individual score against England. Having never scored a Test ton against England, whether at home or abroad, Laxman’s Test scores swell to great heights against big prime opponents such as Australia versus whom he even struck a dogged 167 in Australia beside his memorable 281 in Kolkata, but playing in England, the silky stylish with the bat just couldn’t get to great scores.
Think for a second that despite getting to bat in 28 Test outings against England, the elegant right hander could never score a Test ton in England or even in India.
Yuvraj Singh
A great stroke maker adored by his millions of fans in India as also some of India’s great rivals back in the day, for some reason, the blazing white ball batter could never quite replicate his success in the longest format of the game and especially against England.
Till the very end of his Test career, Yuvraj’s highest individual Test score when playing England remained that 86 he hit at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Ground but never once could he reach a Test hundred playing in England. On the whole, the glorious timer of the ball hit three Test centuries.
Suresh Raina
One of those batters who naturally earned the adjective or moniker of being dangerous, Raina, a great player in one day cricket could never quite accumulate the same level of success in his Test career despite getting no fewer than 18 Tests to prove his mettle. What’s interesting in his Test career against England is that Suresh Raina played each of the 4 Tests against this opponent whilst travelling to the latter’s territory. Which means all four Tests in England and yet didn’t quite reach a hundred. Till date, his highest score remains that promising 78 that was struck at Lord’s.
