Most ODI centuries against a single team
Jun 29, 2016 at 12:05 PM
The game of cricket has gone through a lot of modification over the years and is a shadow of the sport that was played in the previous century.
A couple of decades ago, scoring a century was a great achievement as not many batsmen had the quality and ability to reach three figures especially in the shorter formats of the game.
But since the introduction of the T20 format, a lot has changed with the sport.
The batsman have gone on to innovate to get the better of the bowlers while the bowlers have become defensive. Scoring a century is no longer a dramatic feat with almost every ODI game seeing a batsman reach the three figure mark.
However, it is not easy to score centuries again and again against the same opposition but over the years, the best in the business have managed to thump the same team more than once.
Here is a list of batsmen with the highest number of ODI centuries against the same team:
Sachin Tendulkar vs Australia (9):
The Indian batting legend has scored 9 centuries against the men in yellow over the years.
He has always been a thorn in the flesh for the men from down under and never backed down from a challenge. Though Australia have been the best team since the turn of the year in the ODI, India dominated a couple of years or more after the 2007 World Cup and Tendulkar was at the helm of everything good with the side in that time.
Sachin Tendulkar vs Sri Lanka (8):
Sachin again, this time against neighboring Sri Lanka, has scored 8 centuries against them in his career.
He has astonishingly scored 3113 runs against Lanka in just 80 innings with a highest score of 138. He has an average of 43.4 against the Lankans and is one of the most feared batsman in the last decade or so in the island of Sri Lanka.
Saeed Anwar vs Sri Lanka (7):
A world record holder for a long time for the highest individual score in ODI’s Saeed Anwar loved to play against Sri Lanka.
He scored 7 centuries in 52 games for his side at an average of 44.85 against Sri Lanka in what has been a stellar career for Pakistan. Scoring at a strike rate in excess of 80, Anwar was surely one of the most hated batsmen in Sri Lanka.
Sanath Jayasuriya vs India (7):
The hard hitting left hander is one of the most fearless batsmen in the history of the game.
He always found ways to make India pay in the powerplay and has scored 7 centuries against the men in blue in his time. He has an incredible strike rate of above 96 in games against India and the whole nation was happy to see him retire when he did for Sri Lanka.
Virender Sehwag vs New Zealand (6):
Arguably, the most aggressive opening batsman from our country, Virender Sehwag is one of the most feared batsmen in the world.
Known for his fearless hitting, Sehwag notched up 6 centuries against the Black Caps at an average of 52.59 and a staggering strike rate of 103.95. He looked comfortable facing the New Zealand bowlers every time he took the field and retired with some amazing numbers against them in ODIs.
AB de Villiers vs India (6):
One of the most loved foreign players in India, AB de Villiers loves to play against the Men in Blue.
He has scored 6 centuries so far against them and has led his side to some historic victories over the years. Smashing at a strike rate of 111.21, ABD has scored 1279 runs against India in just 28 innings at an average of 53.29 making him one of the most successful batsmen against India.
Adam Gilchrist vs Sri Lanka (6):
Australia’s former wicket keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist holds a number of records for his side.
He loved to take on the men from Sri Lanka as he proved in the World Cup final in 2007. He scored 1511 runs in 30 games for his side at an average of 50.36 and a strike rate of 105.81 making him one of the most successful players against Sri Lanka in ODI cricket.
Gautam Gambhir vs Sri Lanka (6):
Yet another Indian who scores big against Sri Lanka, Gautam Gambhir, former Indian opener has 6 centuries to his name against Sri Lanka.
In just 36 games he scored 1668 runs at an average of 50.54 making him a consistent headache for the bowlers in his time. He has a healthy strike rate of 88.62 and is well respected among the Sri Lankan contingent.
Virat Kohli vs Sri Lanka (6):
Having scored 6 centuries and 10 half centuries, Virat Kohli is the highest run getter against Sri Lanka among the players still active in the game.
The Indian heart-throb has scored 1856 runs in 39 games at a strike rate of 88 and an average of 56.24, the highest on this list. His 139* in a tri-series in Australia is one of the most memorable innings ever in his career.
Ricky Ponting vs New Zealand (6)
Triumphing the neighborhood rivalry all his career, Australian legend Ricky Ponting is the highest run-scorer for Australia against New Zealand.
He has 6 centuries to his name against the Black Caps at an average of 40.07 and is one of the most feared batsmen in New Zealand. He has a strike rate of 81.41 and his highest score of 140* is something he will remember for a long time.