Test cricket is the ultimate Test of psychological warfare, physical endurance, emotional intelligence and grit and determination of an international cricketer. A cricketer who can prove his worth in the purest format of the game is considered a legend for generations to come. Many a great has donned the whites to produce some of the unimaginable majestic innings in the most enthralling format of cricket. To honour the legacy of such legends, Cricreads brings to you the 10 Test innings that redefined the meaning of persistence, resistance and perseverance.
Here are the 10 greatest Test innings:
VVS Laxman, 281 vs Australia, 2001
VVS Laxman played a very very special innings at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, to ruin the dreams of Steve Waugh to win 17 consecutive Test matches as captain. India conceded a lead of 274 runs in the 1st innings and was asked to follow on. No cricketing expert gave India any chance of making any comeback in the game. However, Laxman’s resolve to not surrender against the Australians produced one of the finest Test innings ever. On the back of Laxman’s 281, India declared on 657/7 to ultimately win the match by 171 runs.
Kusal Perera, 153* vs South Africa, 2019
Nobody gave a young Sri Lankan side any chance against the Proteas in the 2018/19 tour of Sri Lanka to South Africa. At the first Test in Durban, Sri Lanka was asked to chase 304 in the fourth innings against an attack consisting of Dale Steyn, Rabada and Philander. Sri Lanka kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but Kusal Perera did not let go of the belief to win. At one point, the scoreboard read 226/9, and all hope seemed to be lost, but Perera refused to surrender. He played majestic Test innings of 153* and formed a 78 runs stand for the last wicket to win the match for Sri Lanka out of nowhere.
Ben Stokes, 135* vs Australia, 2019
Australia was ahead by 1-0 in Ashes 2019 before the enthralling 3rd Test match took place. England was rolled out for only 67 runs by the Australians to secure a healthy lead of 112 runs. Australia batted again to set a massive target of 359 runs for England in the fourth innings. Ben Stokes formed an unbeaten 76 runs stand with Jack Leach for the last wicket to win the Test match for England out of thin air. Leach only contributed one run in the entire partnership.
Brian Lara, 153* vs Australia, 1999
Brian Lara has played numerous record-breaking Test innings; however, his knock at Bridgetown in the third Test of Australia tour to West Indies in 1999 is perhaps the best inning he has played. Chasing 308 runs in the fourth innings, West Indies failed to create partnerships of significant impact. But Lara kept one end intact until the end to guide his team to a historic win against a bowling line-up boasting of Warne, Macgrath and Healy.
Don Bradman, 270 vs England, 1937
Australia lost the first two Tests against England on their home soil in 1937 and was under immense pressure to prove their worth. It is rightly said, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.’ The don of cricket bossed the English cricket team to notch up 270 while batting at 7th position in the third inning of the Test match to put up a target of 689 runs, which ultimately resulted in Australia winning by 365 runs.
Graham Gooch, 154* vs West Indies 1991
Graham Gooch played exceptional Test innings of 154* against the star-studded bowling line-up of West Indies, consisting of Walsh, Ambrose and Marshall in 1991 to secure a victory against the heavyweights of cricket at the point of time. Gooch’s inning gave England the much-needed belief that Caribbeans could be countered in their peak at their home if the grit and determination did not fall apart.
Hanif Mohammad, 337 vs West Indies, 1958
Hanif Mohammad played the longer Test innings ever in cricket in terms of balls faced in 1958 against the West Indies. Pakistan successfully managed to draw a Test that seemed almost impossible to pull off when they conceded a lead of 473 runs and were asked to follow on. Mohammad displayed extraordinary resistance to take Pakistan to an unimaginable score of 657/8 and eventually drew the Test.
Faf du Plessis, 110* vs Australia, 2012
Faf du Plessis earned player of the match in his debut match for exhibiting extraordinary resilience. Faf played like a veteran already familiar with heavily pressurised dire situations in the game. Chasing Australia’s 430 runs, Faf realised that the Proteas had no chance of winning, and the best possible outcome for them would be to secure a draw. Du Plessis remained not out on 110* off 376 balls in a marathon Test inning that destroyed Australia’s hopes.
Babar Azam, 196 vs Australia, 2022
The most recent entry on the list is of the modern-day genius, Babar Azam. In the second Test of Australia tour to Pakistan at Karachi, the Kangaroos seemed determined to break the stalemate in the series. Australia set up a massive target of 506 runs for the Pakistani batters with 172 overs to scalp the 10 wickets. However, Babar did not crawl back and instead went for the win; he notched up 196 off 425 deliveries, ultimately securing a draw for Pakistan.
Nathan Astle, 222 vs England, 2002
Nathan Astle’s record of fastest ever double hundred in 153 deliveries in Test is still unbroken after the two decades. England set a colossal total of 550 runs for the Kiwis to chase in the fourth innings. Nathan Astle defied all odds when he came out guns blazing in the chase to smash English bowlers all around the park. His enterprising knock is perhaps the most entertaining Test inning in history. New Zealand ultimately fell short by 98 runs but Astle’s inning ushered a new era.