Top 10 Batsmen with most centuries batting at No 3 in ODIs

Top 10 Batsmen with most centuries batting at No 3 in ODIs: A batsman batting at No. 3 position in the batting order is considered no less than an opener himself. Traditionally, he happens to be the most talented and the best in the whole team. Every leading team has a strong No.3 batsman. He has a lot of responsibility to shoulder from the team’s batting point of view. In a way, he determines the success of the teams batting innings. A batsman at No.3 has a variety of roles to play for the team. One day he may have to face the new ball if the openers fail or the other day he might have to consolidate the big opening stands and ensure that the team capitalise on the advantages. Some other day, he may have to withstand the pressure of an early flurry of wickets. He should be capable of steadying the ship if it hits rough waters. The No.3 batsman is known for his tough character, gritty attitude and flawless batting technique apart from being abundantly talented. Here we look at the Top 10 Batsmen with most centuries batting at No 3 in ODIs: 10. VVS Laxman (India) – 6: VVS Laxman. (© Getty Images) VVS Laxman was not purely a batting star but he always stood tall and rescued India from many tricky match situations where defeat was staring on the face. No wonder why he was admiringly called as ‘Very Very Special’. As a team player, he was indeed special. Laxman scored only 6 centuries in the 60 matches he played at No.3. Australia, the toughest team in the world during his playing days was his favourite. This statement holds weight as Laxman scored 4 out of his 6 century against the mighty Australians. His most memorable century would be the one which came against Pakistan in 2004 when he came at number No.3 in the 15th over and dealt with the Pakistan bowlers till the 45th over eventually scoring 107 in that match. Who are the captains with most ODI tons? – Top 10 Captains with most ODI centuries 9. Ijaz Ahmed (Pakistan) – 6: Ijaz Ahmed. (© Laurence Griffiths /Allsport Via Getty Images) Ijaz was not the usual No. 3 the teams have generally. He was not technically sound but was effective. He was a bottom hand player whose shots were powerfully hit. Ijaz was fierce in the square region and could raise the tempo suiting the occasion. He was entrusted with the responsibility of batting at No.3 after Inzamam ul Haq and Salim Malik chose to bat down the order. Ijaz Ahmed played 74 innings at this position and scored 6 centuries overall. 8. Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan) – 7: Mohammad Hafeez. (Photo Source: Associated Press) Hafeez usually tries to bat little boldly in the top order. He is usually shuffled as an opener as well as No. 3 batsman. But, this doesn’t really affect his performances. He may be little inconsistent but organises himself very well to come up with brilliant performances from time to time. Hafeez, apart from opening for Pakistan, has batted one down on 47 occasions and has scored 1793 runs at an average of 41.75. He has converted all his half-centuries at this position into hundreds, in total, he has scored 7 centuries. His highest score being 140* against Sri Lanka at Sharjah. It would be unfair to judge him based on the stats because he is a much better player overall. 7. Dean Jones (Australia) – 7: Dean Jones. (© Getty Images) Dean Jones is regarded as one of best ODI batsmen who was a trendsetter in this format. He had the courage to skip outside the crease and hit the quickest fast bowlers. His quick-scoring abilities and electric running between the wickets made him very appropriate for this format. Dean Jones played 131 innings and scored over 5000 runs with a strike rate of 72 at the No.3 position. He has scored 7 centuries at this position. 6. Rahul Dravid (India) – 7: Rahul Dravid.(Photo Source: Getty Images) Rahul Dravid represents technical perfection. The wall provided the strength India needed at the top order. He was a part of two 300 plus partnership stands in ODI cricket. One came with Ganguly while the other came with Sachin Tendulkar. Dravid has played 109 innings at No.3 position and scored 4000 runs at an average of 45.84 and scored 7 centuries. 5. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 12: Brian Lara. (© Getty Images) Brian Lara was a masterful entertainer with the bat. No one could match the style in which he batted. A high bat lift and crouched stance along with a tremendous appetite for big runs made him a distinctive specie of batsman. He has monumental feats to his name and is hailed as one of the greatest of the game. No wonder he batted for West Indies at No.3. He was the saviour for West Indies on many occasions. His highest ODI score (169 against Sri Lanka at Sharjah) came at this position. Overall, Lara has 4447 runs to his name out of the 106 innings he played at No.3 at an average of 45.84. 4. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 13: Jacques Kallis. (Photo Source: Associated Press) The broad-shouldered South African has been the backbone of the South African middle order for many years. His wicket was the most prized wicket for the opposition. He was calm, with rock-solid technique and never looks under pressure. Over the years, he has delivered many memorable performances for South Africa which includes 13 centuries and 57 half-centuries at No.3. He played 200 innings to reach this feat and scored a total of 7774 runs at this important batting position. 3. Kumara Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 18: Kumar Sangakkara. (© Getty Images) Apart from being a sharp and witty glove-man for his team, Sanga was a classy batsman with a sharp cricketing brain. He had been Sri Lanka’s go-to man for over a decade. He made his debut in 2000 versus Pakistan batting at No.5. But soon was promoted to the vital No.3 position as soon as he gained experience and showcased his potential. Sangakkara has batted 238 innings at this position and has scored 18 centuries and 66 half-centuries. Overall, he has hit 9747 runs at an impressive strike rate of 80.50. 2. Virat Kohli (India) – 20: (Photo Source: BCCI) Virat Kohli is something else in comparison to all other players in this list. Kohli is rising very sharply. He made his ODI debut at the age of 20 and has played only 118 matches so far at this position. However, he has already scored 5003 runs at a strike rate of 91.74 which includes 20 centuries and 28 half-centuries. The amazing part is the astonishing conversion rate of his centuries. He has already raced ahead of many other greats of the game. Kohli promises to the top of this list and break even more batting records in future. His performances peak while chasing. He is least bothered about the situation around him and bats with the focus on his goal. Virat Kohli, without any hesitation, can be called as the best batsman India currently boasts of. 1. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 29: Ricky Ponting. (© Getty Images) Ricky Ponting was Australia’s most reliable batsman at the number three position. Speaking of batting achievements, he comes only second to the great Don Bradman himself. His technical efficiency was arguably the best in his time. Ponting played with an attacking instinct and used to hardly take time to settle, no matter whatever condition the team was in. He was very good player of spin bowling and could fiercely hook and pull the ball. In 335 matches, Ponting has scored 12662 runs at the No.3 position at an average of 42.48. Overall, he scored 29 centuries at this position just one less than his overall count of 30 centuries in ODI career. Who are the batsmen with most ODI centuries? – Top 10 Batsmen with most ODI centuries (All Stats Updated till 17th January, 2016)