Azharuddin’s 109 off 77 vs South Africa, Kolkata 1996: Relive the Knock, and What You Can Read
India lost this Test by 329 runs. Few remember it for that. They remember Mohammad Azharuddin making 109 off 77 balls, and the over in which he hit a debutant called Lance Klusener for five fours in a row.
South Africa batted first and made 428, with Andrew Hudson scoring 146 and Venkatesh Prasad taking 6/104.
India replied with 329, and most of the noise came from one bat. Azharuddin’s 109 came off 77 balls. In one over from Klusener, playing his first Test, he hit five fours off successive deliveries; Wisden notes that one of them was a yorker dug out with a flick that later became MS Dhoni’s trademark helicopter shot. His hundred took 74 balls, equalling Kapil Dev’s record for the fastest Test century by an Indian.
South Africa piled on 367/3 declared, Daryl Cullinan unbeaten on 153, and India were bowled out for 137 in the second innings. Klusener, hammered by Azharuddin in the first, took 8/64: still his career-best figures. Azharuddin made 52 of the 137.
India won the other two Tests and the series 2–1, and Azharuddin was Player of the Series.
The moments
- Five in a row. Five fours off successive balls from Klusener, on the bowler’s Test debut.
- A 74-ball hundred. Equal to Kapil Dev’s Indian record for the fastest Test century at the time.
- The helicopter, early. Wisden points to a yorker from Klusener dug out with a flick, years before MS Dhoni made the shot famous.
- Klusener’s revenge. 8/64 in the second innings, the best figures of his Test career.
Where to watch it now (legally)
| What | Video | Uploaded by |
|---|---|---|
| Full replay | No official footage of this Test is available online: not a full replay, not highlights, not a clip of the innings. Unofficial uploads exist; we do not link them. | |
| Read | Watch: Mohammad Azharuddin plays the helicopter shot in 1996, way before MS Dhoni trademarked it ↗ Wisden’s piece on the over off Klusener and the shot that came before Dhoni’s. | Wisden Checked 4 Oct 2026 |
| Read | India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Kolkata 1996: full scorecard ↗ The full scorecard. | ESPNcricinfo Checked 4 Oct 2026 |
Questions
Is there official video of Azharuddin’s 109 at Eden Gardens?
Not that we can find: no official replay, highlights or clip of the innings is available online. Unofficial uploads exist and we do not link them.
How many did Azharuddin score in Kolkata in 1996?
109 off 77 balls in India’s first innings of 329, and 52 off 55 in the second. His hundred took 74 balls.
What happened in Klusener’s over?
Azharuddin hit five fours off successive deliveries from Lance Klusener, who was playing his first Test. Klusener came back to take 8/64 in the second innings.
Who won the 1996 Kolkata Test?
South Africa, by 329 runs: 428 and 367/3 declared against India’s 329 and 137. India still won the series 2–1.
Sources
- Wikipedia, South African cricket team in India in 1996–97 ↗ (second Test scorecard and series summary) — checked 4 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia, Mohammad Azharuddin ↗ (74-ball century, equalling Kapil Dev’s Indian record) — checked 4 Oct 2026
- Wikipedia, Lance Klusener ↗ (Test debut, five consecutive fours, 8/64) — checked 4 Oct 2026
- Wisden, the helicopter shot in 1996 ↗ — checked 4 Oct 2026