New Delhi. Scoring a century in Test cricket is a matter of pride for any batsman. But opening the safe repeatedly and scoring centuries in the same calendar year is a sign of amazing ability. In the year 2006, Mohammad Yusuf created an unbreakable record by scoring 9 centuries, which till date no great legend of the world has been able to break. From Yusuf to Ricky Ponting, Vivian Richards, Arvind de Silva and Sachin Tendulkar, this is the story of those 5 great batsmen who performed the feat of scoring 7 or more Test centuries in a year.
The cricket field of 2006 was not just witnessing a game, but history books were being rewritten. It was as if the bat had become a magical wand in the hands of Pakistani batsman Mohammad Yousuf. In that single year, he reshaped the history of Test cricket. Remaining unbeaten only once in 19 innings of 11 matches, he scored 1,788 runs at an incredible average of 99.33.
Touching Mohammad Yusuf’s record is a dream
Facing 2,854 balls and playing at a strike rate of 62.64, Mohammad Yusuf hit fours and sixes. 222 fours and 12 sixes came from his bat. He not only made his best score of 202 runs, but also set a record by scoring 9 centuries in a calendar year, which is still a dream for any great batsman in the world to touch. In this magical journey, he recorded 3 half-centuries and only 1 zero.
Ricky Ponting’s golden form
When Yusuf was making this great record, in the same year, Australian captain Ricky Ponting was also in a supernatural mood of scoring runs. In 2006 itself, Ponting made his mark in 18 innings of only 10 matches. Returning unbeaten thrice, he scored 1,333 runs at an excellent average of 88.86. Ponting, who played with a highest score of 196 and a strike rate of 60.78, faced 2,193 balls that year and scored 7 centuries and 4 half-centuries with the help of 139 fours and 7 sixes. He dominated the opposition bowlers throughout the year without any zero.
That fearless emperor of Vivian Richards
But this historic race to score the most centuries in a year in Test cricket had started much before 2006. This story takes us to the year 1976, when the fearless king of West Indies, Sir Vivian Richards, taught the world the true meaning of aggressive Test batting. Batting in a fearless manner, without any helmet, Richards scored 1,710 runs in 19 innings of 11 matches at an average of 90.00. On the basis of his marathon innings of 291 runs, he scored runs at a stormy strike rate of 72.85. According to the available data, he played at least 1,584 balls and hit more than 179 fours and 7 sixes and scored 7 centuries and 5 half-centuries. This record of Richards remained unbroken for decades and remained the benchmark of Test cricket.
Sri Lankan Master Class by Aravind D’Silva
Sri Lanka’s master class batsman Arvinda de Silva added the next golden page to this record books. In the year 1997, De Silva’s bat was destroying every attack of swing and spin. He remained unbeaten thrice in 19 innings of 11 Test matches and scored 1,220 runs at an average of 76.25. With the highest score of 168 runs, patience of 2,075 balls and 149 fours and 6 sixes, he added 7 centuries and 2 half-centuries to his account. Although he was out for zero twice in this journey, his century innings took Sri Lankan cricket to new heights.
Incredible comeback of ‘Master Blaster’
The century changed, the times changed, but the hunger for runs did not change. In the year 2010, Sachin Tendulkar, who was called ‘God of Cricket’, once again proved in the latter part of his career that his class is permanent. In 2010, Sachin remained unbeaten thrice in 23 innings of 14 Test matches and scored 1,562 runs at an excellent average of 78.10. With a captaincy innings of 214 runs, patient facing of 2,794 balls and a strike rate of 55.90, Sachin hit 181 fours and 10 sixes. Without any duck, he scored 7 centuries and 5 half-centuries and once again proved why the world considers him the greatest.
