The 700 Club: 3 Indian Batters Who Redefined Test Greatness

By Prashant for PuneriPages.in

Scoring 700 runs in one Test series? That’s not just a milestone — it’s a cricketing pilgrimage. Only three Indian batters have ever pulled this off. And every single one of them did it in their own unforgettable style.

This isn’t just another stat-heavy list. This is a tribute to the mental grit, the hunger, and the moments that made fans (like me) jump out of our seats. Let’s rewind the clock and relive the three most dominant batting performances India has ever seen in Test history.

Why 700 Runs? Why Does This Matter So Much?

Because it’s brutally hard.

No breaks: You’ve got to perform almost every innings. One failure can ruin the rhythm.
Mental marathon: Test matches last days. Holding your focus while the world watches? Different beast.
Conditions change constantly: From spin to swing, from heat to pressure — you’re battling more than just bowlers.

To score 700 in a series is to say: “I owned this series. Period.”

🧢 Sunil Gavaskar – The 21-Year-Old Who Silenced the Caribbean (1971)

Let’s start with the OG.

Sunil Gavaskar walked into his debut series in the West Indies — and came out with 774 runs in just four Tests. Read that again. Debut. Against one of the fiercest bowling attacks ever. In their backyard.

Series Breakdown:

Runs: 774
Average: 154.80 (!)
100s/50s: 4/3
Defining Knock: 124 at Port of Spain — calm, collected, and series-defining.

Bonus? The West Indies crowd loved him so much, they wrote a Calypso about him. That’s not just runs — that’s respect.

👑 Virat Kohli – The Firebrand King Down Under (2014-15)

This was peak Kohli — fierce eyes, collar up, heart on sleeve. Touring Australia as a leader, Virat decided to take matters into his own hands and scored four centuries in four Tests.

He wasn’t just batting. He was challenging an entire nation — in their own conditions.

Series Breakdown:

Runs: 692 (yes, rounding off — come at me)
Average: 86.50
100s: 4 (zero 50s — all or nothing, classic VK)
Defining Knock: 141 in Adelaide. Bold, brilliant, nearly pulled off a win.

Also, he was captain. Leading, batting, fighting — Virat Kohli was Indian cricket that summer.

🌟 Yashasvi Jaiswal – Gen Z Goes Beast Mode (2025 vs England)

Enter Jaiswal — all flair, all fearlessness.

In 2025, against England, Yashasvi didn’t just bat. He attacked. He brought T20 intensity into a Test series and still managed to make it look classy. 712 runs in five Tests. Two double centuries. And a strike rate that made bowlers question their life choices.

Series Breakdown: