Top 10 Players with most man of the series awards for India in Tests

Cricket is a team game, but usually, it is the performance of a few players in the side who have an edge over the others that makes the difference. Having this edge helps these players to perform better than most on a given day. The prize that they get is absolutely worth the title, Man of the Match. While a few players can often spring up with great performances on certain days, there are a few who continue their good run all throughout the series and get the prestigious Man of the Series Awards. Not all players are consistent and fortunate enough to bag the Man of the Series time and again. So here is the list of top 10 players with most Man of the series awards for India in Tests. 10. Sourav Ganguly – 3: Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly. (Photo by RAVEENDRAN/AFP/Getty Images) Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain, who led India to several memorable Test series wins, represented India in 45 series in his 113 match career. Having scored 7212 runs during this time, Ganguly was not only a formidable skipper but also an intimidating batsman. He bagged 3 Man of the Series awards during his career. His first player of the series award came during his debut series in 1996 against the England. Ganguly scored 2 centuries in his first two matches and still has the record of scoring the highest runs (131) at Lord’s on debut. The following year, when Sri Lanka toured India, Ganguly scored 393 runs in the series with a top score of 173. His third MOS award came in 2007-08 when Pakistan toured India. Ganguly piled on runs at ease in the series, scoring 534 runs at an average of 89. Also check out – Top 10 Captains with most sixes in international cricket 9. Zaheer Khan – 3: Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan. (Photo by DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images) The left-arm fast bowler who remained the pillar of strength for the Indian bowling for over a decade, Zaheer Khan, received 3 Man of the Series awards in his 92 match career. Having played 41 series for India, Zaheer took 311 Test wickets at an average of just over 32 runs per wicket. His first Man of the Series Award came in 2007 against England where he was the joint holder of the award with James Anderson. The following year when England toured India, Zaheer again managed to torment the English batting. He received the player of the series for the third time against Bangladesh in 2009-10. 8. Mohammad Azharuddin – 3: Mohammad Azharuddin batting during his innings of 179. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin is infamous for his connections to the match-fixing scandal due to which his Test career was halted at 99 Tests. Azhar played in 37 series for India and bagged 3 Man of the Series Awards. He made his debut against England in 1984 and soon became famous for scoring three centuries in his first three Tests! England won the 5 match series but Azhar had made his name by stamping his authority on the English bowlers. He was a class act with the bat and was known for his wristy shots. Azhar at his best could stand tall against the best bowling attacks in the world and his confidence also reflected on his captaincy. Also read – Top 10 fielders with most number of catches in a Test match 7. Rahul Dravid – 4: Indian batsman Rahul Dravid (L) receives the Man-of-the-Series prize. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images) The wall of Indian Cricket and the Mr. Dependable, as Rahul Dravid was popularly known during his playing days, received 4 Man of the Series awards in his Test career. Having played 164 Tests which include 60 series, Dravid was the go-to man of the Indian batting. In 2002, he received a Man of the Series award against England. Dravid scored 602 runs including 3 hundreds and one fifty at an average of 100 and also effected 9 dismissals including 6 catches and 3 stumpings in the series. In 2003-04, against Australia, he bagged another player of the series award after scoring 619 runs in the four-match series with an average of 103.16. Against West Indies in 2005-06, another award waited for him. The last to come was in 2011 against England. He scored 461 runs in the four matches at an average of 76.83 with three hundreds. He accounted for over 26% of India’s runs in the series which India lost miserably. 6. Anil Kumble – 4: Indian cricketer Anil Kumble (R). (Photo by MANPREET ROMANA/AFP/Getty Images) The jumbo of Indian cricket, Anil Kumble received the player of the series awards 4 times as well. After playing in 132 matches for India and featuring in 51 series, Kumble is India’s leading wicket-taker in Tests. In 1992-93, when England toured India, he ripped through the English lineup with 21 wickets in the series. The 2nd man to take 10 wickets in an innings, Kumble, got his second Man of the Series for picking up 20 wickets in 1999 when New Zealand toured India. The following year in 2001, against Zimbabwe, he bagged another award and was the joint second most Man of the Series winner award recipient for India along with Mohammad Azharuddin. His 4th accolade came against Sri Lanka in 2005 where he picked up 20 wickets with 3 five-wicket hauls in the 3-match series. Also check out – Top 10 Best bowling figures in Tests 5. Harbhajan Singh – 4: Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh (L) and Anil Kumble (R). (Photo by DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images) Harbhajan Singh played in 47 series spanning over 103 Test matches in his ongoing career during which he picked up 417 wickets. He shot to fame in 2001 when he singlehandedly got through the Australian lineup and picked wickets at will. Harbhajan also took a hat-trick and was phenomenal in taking India home at the Kolkata Test. He picked up 32 wickets in 3 matches. He bagged the player of the series award in that series as India won 2-0. He received the prestigious award again in the drawn series against West Indies in 2002. In 2007, he picked up 19 wickets in 3 matches against South Africa to be the player of the Series. In 2010-11, Singh bagged the fourth MOS of his career against New Zealand; this time for his all-round show as he scored 2 centuries! 4. Kapil Dev – 4: Kapil Dev. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) The first World Cup winning captain of India, Kapil Dev, played 131 Test matches for India. He made his mark for the Indian team in 38 series and picked up 4 Man of the Series awards. During England’s tour of India in 1981, the all-rounder smashed 318 runs and picked up 22 wickets in the 6-match series and bagged the MOS. The next year he bagged the award yet again, when India toured England, he was again the chief destroyer from India side as he amassed 292 runs and picked up 10 wickets in 3 matches. A year later against West Indies, Kapil Dev took 29 wickets in 6 Tests with a two 5-wicket hauls to win the Man of the Series again. The last instance was in 1985 against Australia down under where he received the accolade for his all-round performance of 135 runs and 12 wickets. 3. Sachin Tendulkar – 5 Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar smiles as he holds the ‘Man of the Series’ award. (Photo by DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images) Probably the greatest batsman of this era, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar won 5 Man of the Series awards in his long career of 200 Tests, during which he played in 74 series. His first two MOS came in home and away series against Australia in 1997-98 and 1999-2000. When England toured India in 2002, Sachin amassed 307 runs in 4 innings to take away the Man of the Series. Against Bangladesh in 2007, Sachin scored 2 centuries in the series to take the trophy for a record 4th time. In 2010, when the Aussies toured India again, Sachin was at his best as he scored 403 runs in just 4 innings to win the player of the series. 2. Virender Sehwag – 5: Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag shows the trophy after winning “Man of the match” and “Man of the series”. (Photo by PAL PILLAI/AFP/Getty Images) The only Indian batsman to score a triple hundred in Tests, Virender Sehwag did this not just do it once but twice. Sehwag played in 104 Tests and participated in 39 series in his career taking home 5 Man of the Series awards. His first came in 2003-04 against Pakistan in a series where he scored his maiden triple ton. The following year, when South Africa toured India, he scored 262 runs in 2 matches to be the player of the series. When Pakistan toured India in 2004-05, Sehwag scored heavily with 544 runs in 3 games to be the MOS again. The last two Man of the Series for the former Indian opener came against Sri Lanka when Sri Lanka toured India in 2009 and India toured Sri Lanka in 2010. Also check out – Top 10 Batsmen with highest strike rate in an innings with minimum 50 balls faced in Tests 1. Ravichandran Ashwin – 6: Barely 32 Test match old, Ravichandran Ashwin is already amongst the greatest of the game. He has represented India in 13 series and has taken the Man of the Series on a record 6 times, the most recent being the one against West Indies when India defeated West Indies 2-0. His first one came in 2011 when West Indies toured India and he picked 2 five-wicket hauls and had a century to his name. In 2012, against New Zealand, he picked up 18 wickets in 2 matches to be the MOS. The same year against Australia at home, he picked 29 wickets with 4 five-wicket hauls. Recently, prior to the South Africa’s tour to India, when Indian toured Sri Lanka, Ashwin bagged the Man of the Series with 21 wickets to his name as India won the series 2-1. Also read – Top 10 Bowlers with most 4 or more wickets in T20Is

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Top 10 Players with most man of the series awards for India in Tests

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