Mehul Bhattacharya: The Indian Cricket Team has had a number of legendary batsmen in the years gone by. These players have often been the difference in a crucial moment, and have shown remarkable consistency in their time as part of the team, especially against close rivals England. The matches between the two nations have provided a platform for some of the most consistent and awe-inspiring performances we have seen to date. The question that this articles endeavours to answer is- who are the 5 most consistent test-cricket batsmen that have graced this decorated rivalry?
5) Sourav Ganguly: The Prince of Calcutta, as he is popularly known, has notched up 915 runs in 15 innings against England, making him the 5th highest Indian-run getter against England in test cricket. Dada has had some brilliant displays, with his highest score of the lot coming in the form of a knock of 136. He has scored these runs at an average of 65.35, hitting 5 50s and 3 centuries along the way.
4) Dilip Vengsarkar: Legendary Indian batsman and key player of the famous Indian side from the ’80s, Vengsarkar has tallied up a sum total of 960 runs against England, hitting 8 50+ scores along the way, including a valiant 157 off 264 balls at Lord’s in what was unfortunately a losing effort. At the pinnacle of his career, Vengsarkar was even ranked as the best batsman in the Coopers and Lybrand rating for 21 months straight, a commendable feat for any cricketer.
3) Sunil Gavaskar: A true stalwart of Indian cricket, Mr. Gavaskar is an ever-present in discussions regarding the history of cricket in our country, having been one of the best batsmen India has ever produced. He has managed to score 1152 runs against England in 28 innings, including a classy 221, his highest score against England in the format. He managed to surpass the 50 mark 8 times, and hundred mark twice in his battle against the English line-ups throughout the years.
2) Rahul Dravid: Always the dependable, cool-headed batsman that India needed him to be in crunch scenarios, Rahul Dravid has had several memorable outings against the English, including a brilliant 148 at Leeds and a scintillating 217 at the Kennington Oval. With 1376 runs in 23 innings, he comes second on the list of highest scorers for India against England in test matches.
1) Sachin Tendulkar: One of the greatest cricketers India has ever produced, The Master Blaster is a cricketing genius in the truest sense of the phrase. He has 100 centuries under his belt, and is a true legend of the game, much like the others on this list, however there is a certain aura of class in his batting which sets him apart from most others. With 1575 runs scored against England, including 4 innings where he scored 100+ runs, Sachin tops this list as the highest ever run-getter against England in tests in the history of Indian cricket.