They average 100 plus against India

Sir Donald Bradman, as anyone even remotely associated with the game of cricket is aware, ended his Test career with an average of 99.94. But that is not the highest Test career average of all time. In a freak case, a relatively unknown West Indian batsman going by the name of Andrew Gordon Ganteaume has an overall batting average of 112. A right handed opening batsman and wicket keeper, Ganteaume played just one Test against England in 1947-48 when he scored 112 in his only innings. For some obscure reason, he never played in another Test and that explains the reason for his freak average, which remains the highest in the annals of Test cricket.

A lesser known, but still rare, feat is to average 100 against any one country. It is possible that a batsman may have a specially good record against a particular country and there have been cases when a batsman has even averaged over 100 in such cases. Against India, for example, there are three cricketers who have an average of 100 plus and to avoid freak cases, I have maintained a minimum of five Tests as a benchmark.

Batsmen from many countries have relished Indian bowling. Players like Walter Hammond, Gary Sobers, Ken Barrington, Zaheer Abbas, David Boon and Sanath Jayasuriya all have averages ranging from 70 plus to 80 plus in Tests against India. But the three who have topped the century mark against India are Sir Donald Bradman, Everton Weekes and Andy Flower.

Bradman of course played only one series, in 1947-48, against India. In the five Tests, he had scores of 185, 13, 132, 127 not out, 201 and 57 (retired hurt). He finished with 715 runs at an average of 178.75.

Weekes played ten Tests against India, five in an away series in 1948-49 and five in a home rubber in 1953. In the first contest, the West Indian right hander punished the Indian bowlers to the tune of 779 runs from seven completed innings. Four years later he was still at his ruthless best, knocking up 716 runs from eight innings (one not out). The carnage gave him a tally of 1495 runs at an average of 106.78.

After this, many batsmen had a splendid record against India but fell short of averaging 100 plus. Sobers for example scored 1920 runs from 18 Tests at an average of 83.47. That obdurate English professional Ken Barrington always had a special taste for Indian bowling, particularly on our featherbed pitches at home. He ended up with 1355 runs from 14 Tests at an average of 75.27. In the seventies and eighties, Zaheer Abbas was the scourge of Indian bowling - but only on home turf. The elegant Pakistan right hander had a nightmarish tour of India in 1979-80 and only a modest one when he led the side out here four years later. But in three successive series in Pakistan, Zaheer Abbas averaged 100 plus each time. But the poor record in India brought his overall average against this country to 87 from a tally of 1740 runs in 19 Tests. Burly, beer loving Australian opening batsman David Boon followed Zaheer Abbas as the scourge of Indian bowling. In 11 Tests, from 1985-86 to 1991-92, Boon scored 1204 runs at an average of 70.82.

Walter Hammond, in the 30s and 40s and Sanath Jayasuriya in the 90s both threatened to top the 100 run average mark against India but they fell short. Hammond had successive innings of 167 and 217 in the 1936 rubber but a modest run in the three Test series ten years later saw his overall average slip to 79.28 from a tally of 555 runs in six Tests. Similarly, Jayasuriya had successive scores of 340 and 199 in two Tests in Sri Lanka in 1997. But his other scores were modest and his overall average stands at 78.20 with a tally of 782 runs from seven Tests.

In the last few years, however a rather unfancied cricketer from Zimbabwe has taken heavy toll of the Indian attack. Andy Flower, the pugnacious left hander and wicketkeeper took little time in displaying his relish for Indian bowling when in the inaugural Test at Harare in October 1992, he scored 59 and one not out. A few months later in the return Test in India, he top scored in both innings with 115 and 62 not out. In the only Test back home in 1998, he had rather modest returns of 30 and 41 not out. But last year in the two Test series in India he really blossomed with successive scores of 183 not out (top score), 70 (top score), 55 and 232 not out (top score). As the Indian team prepare to take on Zimbabwe, they are aware they will face an enormous obstacle in the 33-year-old former captain who currently has a tally of 848 runs from five Tests. Five not outs in ten innings have boosted his average to 169.60. close behind the Don's figures. The coming two Test series in his country gives Flower the opportunity to go ahead.