Published: Aug 25, 2011, 06:07 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 16, 2014, 03:11 PM (IST)
By Dileep V
London: Aug 25, 2011
Rahul Dravid’s 461 runs in the recently concluded England tour is the ninth highest by a batsmen of the losing side in a Test series. Top of the list is Brian Lara who scored 688 runs, including three 100s and one 50, in three Tests against Sri Lanka in 2001. Lara scored 221 and 130 in the last Test at SSC Colombo but still West Indies lost by a huge margin of 10 wickets. Interestingly except for Lara and Dravid, the rest in the list have scored against the Australians.
| Player |
M |
Runs |
Avg |
100s/50s |
Opposition |
Year |
Series Result |
| B Lara (WI) |
3 |
688 |
114.66 |
3/1 |
Sri Lanka |
2001 |
3-0 |
| H Sutcliffe (Eng) |
4 |
591 |
73.87 |
3/2 |
Australia |
1924 |
4-1 |
| G Faulkner (SA) |
4 |
561 |
70.12 |
1/4 |
Australia |
1910 |
4-1 |
| J Hobbs (Eng) |
4 |
507 |
63.37 |
3/1 |
Australia |
1924 |
4-1 |
| J Hobbs (Eng) |
5 |
505 |
50.50 |
2/1 |
Australia |
1920 |
5-0 |
| C Walcott (WI) |
3 |
493 |
82.16 |
3/1 |
Australia |
1955 |
3-0 |
| K Pietersen (Eng) |
5 |
490 |
54.44 |
1/3 |
Australia |
2006 |
5-0 |
| R Smith (Eng) |
4 |
465 |
58.12 |
2/2 |
Australia |
1989 |
4-0 |
| R Dravid (Ind) |
4 |
461 |
76.83 |
3/0 |
England |
2011 |
4-0 |
| M Vaughan (Eng) |
4 |
450 |
56.25 |
2/0 |
Australia |
2002 |
4-1 |
Dravid faced 965 balls in the series, the 13th highest by a batsman of the losing side in a Test series. Only Vijay Hazare (1049) against Australia in 1947/48 has faced more balls than Dravid for India.
The four Tests combined; Dravid spent 1476 minutes at the crease, the fourth highest by a batsman of the losing side in a Test series. Topping the list is Herbert Sutcliffe who batted for 1579 minutes against Australia in 1924. Interestingly, three of the top five has come post 2000s, considered as the era of limited and T20 cricket.
| Player |
M |
Runs |
Mins |
Opposition |
Year |
| H Sutcliffe (Eng) |
4 |
591 |
1579 |
Australia |
1924 |
| K Pietersen (Eng) |
5 |
490 |
1519 |
Australia |
2006 |
| B Lara (WI) |
3 |
688 |
1510 |
Sri Lanka |
2001 |
| R Dravid (Ind) |
4 |
461 |
1476 |
England |
2011 |
| M Atherton (Eng) |
4 |
441 |
1399 |
Australia |
1993 |
Dravid also became one of only six batsmen to have scored three hundreds in a losing series. Jack Hobbs and Sutcliffe registered three hundreds each in the same series against Australia in 1924, while Allan Lamb scored against the all conquering West Indies in 1984.
| Player |
100s |
Opposition |
Year |
| J Hobbs (Eng) |
3 |
Australia |
1924 |
| H Sutcliffe (Eng) |
3 |
Australia |
1924 |
| C Walcott (WI) |
3 |
Australia |
1955 |
| A Lamb (Eng) |
3 |
West Indies |
1984 |
| B Lara (WI) |
3 |
Sri Lanka |
2001 |
| R Dravid (Ind) |
3 |
England |
2011 |
(Dileep.V is a Scouser fan, Sports freak, Movie buff, Laggard Quizzer and dreams of setting foot on Anfield one day)
