Scoring big runs outside India is never easy, especially in SENA countries- South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia, where conditions often favour fast bowlers.
Indian batters are regularly tested in the SENA conditions and that is the reason only nine Indian players have finished as the top run-scorer in a SENA Test series since 1990.
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The most recent to join this elite club is Shubman Gill, who was the leading scorer in the England 2025 series, with a stunning 754 runs in five Tests.
Let’s take a closer look at the other standout performances in SENA conditons that rose above the odds.
Indian batters to top Test series in SENA nations since 1990
Here’s a complete table showing all 9 instances where an Indian batter led the charts in a SENA Test series:
| Player Name | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Shubman Gill | England | 2025 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | Australia | 2018/19 |
| Virat Kohli | England | 2018 |
| Virat Kohli | South Africa | 2018 |
| Cheteshwar Pujara | South Africa | 2013/14 |
| Gautam Gambhir | New Zealand | 2009 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | Australia | 2007/08 |
| Rahul Dravid | New Zealand | 1998/99 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | England | 1996 |
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Why is Shubman Gill’s 2025 England tour performance so significant?
Gill didn’t just score the most runs but he totally dominated the series from start to finish.
Across five matches, he kept his form intact, scoring four centuries, including a match-saving hundred in the fourth test at Manchester (July 23-27), where India were 0/2 before he stitched a crucial 188-run stand with KL Rahul.
Gill’s final tally of 754 runs came at an average of 75.40, making him the top scorer overall, beating England’s Joe Root by more than 200 runs. This consistency played a key part in keeping the series levelled for India.
How rare is it for Indian batters to succeed in SENA?
India has played 33 Test series in these four nations since 1990. Yet, only on nine occasions has an Indian finished as the top run-scorer in the entire series. That’s less than one in every four tours.
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The challenges like moving ball in England, bounce in Australia, seam in South Africa and tricky tracks in New Zealand, make run-making a hard task for visiting batters.
The rarity of these performances shows the mental toughness and technical skill needed to succeed in such testing conditions. That’s why every entry in this list carries weight.