Russell's was an attacking innings at Lord's in 1996

By the time he had helped add 237 for the last five wickets, England had reached 344 and India, who went on to score 429 in their first innings, had blown their chance.

In Ahmedabad, England, who were at one stage 180 for five, added a further 227 after White came to the crease.

There have, of course, been the heroic failures - with Lewis's 117 in England's heavy defeat in Madras nine years ago, which included him reaching his maiden century with a six, chief among them.

And then there are the flat pitches that have allowed limited batsmen to fill their boots, such as at Perth in 1986/87 when Russell became the third centurion in the England innings (Bill Athey narrowly missed being the fourth with 96).

Match-winners

But two of the most romantic innings in England's Test history have come from No.7 - both featuring Ian Botham at his best in 1981.

On purely cricketing grounds, Botham's 118 at Old Trafford, which lifted England's 104 for five to 404 all out and came off 102 balls is, many believe, unsurpassable.

Botham's Old Trafford ton was arguably his best

The six sixes he hit remain a record in any Test in England and are the most against Australia. Furthermore, England won the match by 103, retaining the Ashes in the process.

But Botham's 149 not out at Headingley, which came after England had followed on 227 runs behind and were 41 for four in their second innings, is unrivalled in status, not least because it allowed England to square the series.

Time will tell if White's heroics in Ahmedabad will have a similar impact.