Test cricket is the toughest format of the game. To play a big innings in Test matches, a player needs not only power but also patience, strong mind, and great technique. Some players have played such big innings that their names are now written in the history of cricket.
Let’s look at the top 5 batsmen who scored the most runs in one Test innings:
🥇 1. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 400 Runs*
- Against: England
- Year: 2004
- Location: Antigua
- Lara played an unbeaten innings of 400 runs, the highest score in Test history.
- He batted for almost 13 hours and faced 582 balls.
🥈 2. Matthew Hayden (Australia) – 380 Runs
- Against: Zimbabwe
- Year: 2003
- Location: Perth
- Hayden scored 380 runs in just 437 balls, hitting 38 fours and 11 sixes.
- This is the highest Test score by an Australian.
🥉 3. Brian Lara (West Indies) – 375 Runs
- Against: England
- Year: 1994
- Lara appears twice in this list.
- His 375-run innings was a world record back then, which he later broke himself.
4️⃣ 4. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 374 Runs
- Against: South Africa
- Year: 2006
- Location: Colombo
- Jayawardene faced 752 balls and hit 43 fours.
- He also had a 624-run partnership with Kumar Sangakkara – the biggest in Test history.
5️⃣ 5. Gary Sobers (West Indies) – 365 Runs*
- Against: Pakistan
- Year: 1958
- Age: Only 21 years
- Sobers scored an unbeaten 365 runs in 614 balls.
- This was the highest score for 36 years, until Brian Lara broke it.
🇮🇳 Is there any Indian in the list?
👉 No, till now no Indian batsman has entered the top 5 highest individual scores in a single Test innings. However, Indian legends like Virender Sehwag (319 runs) and Karun Nair (303*) have made it to the top 10.
