Consequently, the apex of personal achievement for any aspiring batsman is the Test century- an incredibly valued but difficult milestone that a host of world-class players like Michael Bevan, Ravindra Jadeja and David Hussey have failed to reach.
On the other hand however, there have been some test players who are either not known for their batsmanship or have had relatively unremarkable test careers until now but have played amazing individual knocks to gain membership into a very exclusive club and forever etch their names into the cricketing history books as test centurions.
Let’s take a look at a list of seven of these players who you would be surprised to know to have a test hundred to their name.
1. Kevin O’ Brien
Kevin O’Brien made history in May this year when he became the first test centurion for the Irish men’s team in their first test match against Pakistan at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground. Carrying forward his reputation as a very capable all-rounder with a proven track record, Kevin O’Brien came in at number 6 and top scored for Ireland in both innings with 40 and a groundbreaking 118 in the second innings in a game where the Irish top order filled with batsman considered more technically capable than O’Brien like Ed Joyce and William Porterfield failed to capitalise on the starts they got.
2. Jayant Yadav
As a bowling all-rounder with the experience of having played only four test matches, Jayant Yadav to most people is a very surprising test centurion.
Brought into the side primarily for his bowling, Yadav came in to bat at number 9 in the 4th test of England’s tour of India in 2014. What followed was a record 8th wicket partnership of 241 with Virat Kohli which set India up for a huge victory by an innings and 36 runs.
Yadav’s almost flawless hundred- the first by an Indian number 9- was overshadowed by Kohli’s famous double hundred that took a lot of the limelight away from him in what was an amazing all-round performance in only his third test match.
Unfortunately, post this series Yadav sustained an injury and has not had an international call-up ever since, despite having impressed with his all-round ability in his short test career up until that point.
3. Glenn Maxwell
Known for the unparalleled innovation, aggression, and energy he brings to limited overs cricket, Glen Maxwell is a valued limited over’s player all around the world because of his outrageous range of shots and electric fielding.
Sadly however, his test career never really took off. After 7 test matches and a mediocre average of 26.07, Maxwell has had a very underwhelming test career so far. He however does boast of an achievement most Australian batsman would be incredibly envious of- a test century in India.
Playing in the third test of Australia’s tour of India in Ranchi , Maxwell along with Steve Smith formed a vital 191 run partnership that took Australia out of harm’s way in a match that eventually ended in a draw. Maxwell ended up with an admirable 104 in what was inarguably the best test innings of his career to date.
4. Jason Holder
About 6 feet and 7 inches tall, Jason Holder, a lanky hit-the-deck medium pace bowler, to the surprise of many has not one but two test centuries. Holder was talked about by a number of cricketing experts as someone having immense batting potential due to his compact technique coupled with his temperament and cricketing maturity.
He slowly began to realise this potential and scored his maiden test century against England in 2015 with a majestic 103* that both saved the game for The West Indies and illustrated his hyped batting ability.
He then followed this up with a series of consistent batting performances and another century against Zimbabwe in 2017 and now boasts of a very respectable batting record with an average of 30.26 across 34 test matches.
5. Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad is a test veteran with well over 100 test matches of experience. For most of his career, Broad was considered a bowling-all rounder who was more than handy with the bat at number 9.
He has had 13 scores of 50+ in his career and has on more than one occasion chipped in as a tail-ender with invaluable runs for England. What a lot of people do find surprising is that Broad has a mammoth score of 169 to his name- an innings he played against Pakistan at The Oval in 2010. Broad partnered up with Jonathan Trott in a legendary 332 run partnership that got England out of trouble and eventually resulted in a huge English victory by an innings and 225 runs.
6.Jason Gillespie
Probably the most famous and incredible knock in this list, Jason’s Gillespie 201* against Bangladesh blew the cricketing world away in what turned out to be his final game in International Cricket.
Known for his ability to defend and occupy the crease while more capable batsman did the bulk of the scoring, Gillespie was never considered a dud with the bat. However, he rarely made big scores-a fact that is evident in the 15.65 batting average he held before this innings. This made him an ideal nightwatchman and that was what he was sent as in the second test against Bangladesh in the April of 2006.
Nobody would have anticipated what followed as Gillespie kept breaking record after record as he became the first night watchman in cricketing history to score a double hundred. Gillespie eventually ending up with 201* in an innings that far belied his previous batting credentials.
Australia eventually ended up winning the match comfortably and Gillespie was named Man of the Match for his batting efforts for a change in what turned out to be a poetic ending to fantastic career.
Such was the impact of this innings in the context of Gillespie’s batting career that this innings alone accounted for almost 17% of the total runs he had scored in his 71 match career and increased his batting average by almost 3 runs!
7.Ajit Agarkar
In one of the most memorable batting performances by an Indian tail-ender, Ajit Agarkar scored an elegant 109* filled with exquisite cover drives and perfectly timed back foot punches in Lords in the first test of India’s tour of England in 2002.
In the process, Agarkar did what only 8 other Indian batsmen have done and got his name up on the famous and much venerated Lord’s honours board. Chasing a gigantic target of 568 runs, Agarkar came into bat at number 8 just before the close of play on day 4. His ton, however, didn’t prove to be enough as India ended up losing the match by 170 runs in a game that a lot of Indian fans fondly remember for different reasons.
Agarkar then continued on to have a rather unremarkable test batting career after this, eventually ending up with a batting average of 16.79 across 26 games with this famous 109* being the only 50 plus score in his career.
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