'How many hundreds at Lord’s ya?' - When Ajit Agarkar rubbed salt on Ricky Ponting's wound

Ajit Agarkar will go down as one of the great bowlers who played for India. He is still the third-highest wicket-taker in the ODIs for India. His record was quite sensational during an era when fast-bowlers were not considered as great match-winners in Indian cricket. Despite all of this, the ex-cricketer had a batting to also boast about.

Many might not know this, but he got a century at Lord’s while playing a Test match in 2002. He has got his name on the famous Lord’s Honours Board, something many legendary cricketers like Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Jacques Kallis have failed to score.

It’d be too disrespectful to ask them that: Ajit Agarkar

During a recently released video podcast, Agarkar revealed he once took a cheeky dig at the former Australian captain Ponting by pointing he has a Lord’s hundred, but the batsman doesn’t.

Recalling the incident Agarkar said during an episode of 22 Yarns With Gaurav Kapur, “I did [rib] quietly to Ricky Ponting once when he was playing at KKR with me. Just laughingly asked him, ‘How many hundreds at Lord’s ya?’”. The two played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first season of the IPL in 2008.

Agarkar further said that it would be disrespectful for him to compare his achievement with legendary batsmen. “But look, those guys, I would easily swap my one hundred for what they’ve achieved. It’d be too disrespectful to ask them that. But it’s always fun, I was lucky enough to get a hundred there. It’s a special memory” the ex-pacer said.

India was chasing a huge total of 568 runs in the Lord’s Test in 2002. Agarkar who came in 170 for 6, got stuck in and played a superb knock filled with some really good shots. He hit 16 fours during that knock. However, a lot of credit must go to Ashish Nehra, with whom he had a last wicket stand of 63 runs. Nehra held one end and scored a patient 19 runs as Agarkar got time and scored his maiden and an only ton in Test cricket.

Watch the video: