28 March 2004	Sunday	06 Safar 1425

KARACHI, March 27: Pakistan, who lead India in the number of Tests won against them (9-5), have also scored more centuries than their great rivals in the 47 Tests between them.

Before the start of the latest series, at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday, Pakistan batsmen had scored 43 centuries against 32 made by the Indians.

Indian batsmen have recorded 17 centuries on their home soil and 15 in Pakistan. Pakistan batsmen have generally struggled for three-figure scores in India with just 14 hundreds being made in 27 Tests. At home, however, the Pakistanis have piled up as many as 29 centuries against the Indians in 20 Tests.

Zaheer Abbas and Mudassar Nazar lead the way with six centuries. Zaheer converted two of his centuries into double hundreds (235 not out in 1978-79 and 215 in 1982-83, both at Lahore).

Javed Miandad, the current Pakistan coach, has the honour of making the highest score in Pakistan-India Tests - 280 not out at Hyderabad in 1982-83.

Mudassar established two records in that same series. Along with Miandad, he shared the highest ever partnership in Pakistan-India Tests when the pair added 451 (then a world record) for the third wicket at Hyderabad with Mudassar's contribution being 231.

Mudassar then emulated his late father Nazar Mohammad (124 not out at Lucknow, 1952-53) by carrying his bat through a completed innings when he made (an unbeaten) 152 at Lahore. Till now, they are the only father/son combination to accomplish this feat.

The legendary Indian opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar has scored most centuries against Pakistan - five, followed by Mohinder Amarnath and Polly Umrigar (four each).

Sanjay Manjrekar has the distinction of making India's highest individual score against Pakistan when he made 218 at Lahore on the last tour in 1989-90. Anshuman Gaekwad is the only Indian to make a double century against Pakistan (201 at Jalandhar in 1983-84).

Among the current players, only Sachin Tendulkar and Shahid Afridi have managed to score a century in India-Pakistan Tests, in fact, both centuries were made in the same Test at Chennai in 1998-99. Afridi hit 141 and Tendulkar 136.

Since the first Test is being played in Multan, a total of seven centuries have been scored in that city. Viv Richards, the great West Indian, made 120 not out against Pakistan when the Test was played at the Ibn-e-Qasim Bagh Stadium in 1980-81.

The remaining six centuries, all by Pakistani batsmen, were scored at the Multan Cricket Stadium, the current Test venue. Actually, five were made in the same innings against Bangladesh in 2001-02 - Saeed Anwar 101, Taufiq Umar 104 on debut, Inzamamul Haq 105 retired, Yousuf Youhana 102 not out and Abdul Razzaq 110 not out - in Pakistan's total of 546 for three declared.

Inzamam then repeated the dose with an unbeaten 138, also against Bangladesh last September when Pakistan won by just one wicket.