Three captains with the most ducks in Test cricket

Although T20 cricket has gained massive popularity in the last few years, Test cricket is still considered the hardest format to thrive. Unlike white-ball cricket, a batter can’t make an impact in Test matches within a span of deliveries. Instead, the individual is required to toil hard for hours and even days at times to make a substantial contribution. The challenge becomes stiffer when the batter has leadership responsibilities on his shoulders.

A captain is required to lead from the front and scoring big runs with the bat is arguably the best way to do the same. While several players have failed to embrace this challenge, many captains have passed with flying colours. Test cricket has indeed witnessed several prominent captains over the years. While their overall record is sensational, they have failed to make a mark on odd days.

Meanwhile, let’s look at captains with the most ducks in Test cricket.

Virat Kohli – 10

Arguably the best batter in modern-day cricket, Virat Kohli has been nothing short of a nemesis for bowlers in his illustrious career so far. While Kohli was consistent for the best part of his career, his best was unleashed after becoming the Indian captain.

He took over the reins of the Test team in 2015 and his graph has been on a rise since then. However, the 33-year-old has suffered failures on odd days. So far, Kohli has bagged 10 ducks in 66 Test matches as captain.

Graeme Smith – 12

The only captain to have led his team in over 100 Test matches, Graeme Smith also features in this unfortunate list. The former South African skipper had a solid defence through which he tormented many prominent bowlers in his illustrious career. While the left-handed opener scored runs all over the world, he had his fair share of failures. Overall, he bagged 12 ducks in 109 Tests as captain.

Stephen Fleming -13

This unfortunate list is topped by New Zealand legend Stephen Fleming. The former opener is credited for taking New Zealand cricket to great heights. After all, he served the team with his précised decision-making and stellar performances with the bat.  He slammed over 7000 runs in the purest format of the game. Like other batters, however, Flemming also had his fair share of failures. He bagged 13 ducks while leading New Zealand in 80 Tests.