Highest individual score by a batsman in test match cricket

 

Sachin Tendulkar may own the record of the batsman with most runs in test cricket (and in onedayers), Brain Lara, former West Indian artist with bat, will take heart from his highest score by a batsman in an innings which he owned for 9 years before Mathew Hayden broke it.

6 months since Hayden's hurricane against Zimbabweans, at same Venue (Recreation ground in Antigua) and against same opposition (England), Brain Lara snatched back his phenomenal record, scoring the first and only 400 in test match cricket till today.

Drawback : Not that Brain Lara's record can't be broken today, but modern day batters have lost the patience with loads of ODI & T20 cricket played around the world and also the teams have become more result oriented than in Lara's days whose best test match score didn't fetch a win for his team (England earned a draw!).

Capables : Virendra Sehwag of India and Chris Gayle of West Indies who like to play their shots when most batsman like to defend in test cricket. 

Note : Double centuries may won a batsman a test match for his country, but not a place in elite list below, which comprises only 300s.

Note : There have been 10 countries to play test cricket. Highest scores by batsman from West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, England, Pakistan, India feature in list below. Now among remaining teams, the highest test score by a New Zealand batsman is by Martin Crowe = 299 against Sri Lanka at Wellington in January 1991, best test score by a South African batsman is by Graeme Smith = 277 AB de Villiers = 278* vs Pakistan at Abu Dhabi in November 2010. Top test score by a Bangladesh batsman is 158* by Mohammad Asharful against India and highest test match score by a Zimbabwe batsman is by David Houghton = 266 against Sri Lanka at Bulawayo in October 1994.

Highest Individual scores by a batsman in test matches

Batsman (Country)

Runs

Balls

4s

6s

Versus

Venue

Mon/Yr

Brian Lara (WI)

400*

582

43

4

England

Antigua

Apr 2004

Mathew Hayden (Aus)

380

437

38

11

Zimbabwe

Perth

Oct 2003

Brian Lara (WI)

375

538

45

0

England

Antigua

Apr 1994

Mahela Jayawardene (SL)

374

572

43

1

South Africa

Colombo

Jul 2006

Gary Sobers (WI)

365*

---

38

0

Pakistan

Jamaica

Feb 1958

Len Hutton (Eng)

364

847

35

0

Australia

The Oval

Aug 1938

Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)

340

578

36

2

India

Colombo

Aug 1997

Hanif Mohammad (Pak)

337

---

24

0

West Indies

Bridgetown

Jan 1958

Wally Hammond (Eng)

336*

---

34

10

New Zealand

Auckland

Mar 1933

Mark Taylor (Aus)

334*

564

32

1

Pakistan

Peshawar

Oct 1998

Don Bradman (Aus)

334

448

46

0

England

Leeds

Jul 1930

Chris Gayle (WI)

333

437

34

9

Sri Lanka

Galle

Nov 2010

Graham Gooch (Eng)

333

485

43

3

India

Lords

Jul 1990

Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pak)

329

436

38

9

New Zealand

Lahore

May 2002

Adam Sandham (Eng)

325

640

28

0

West Indies

Jamaica

Apr 1930

Virendra Sehwag (Ind)

319

304

42

5

South Africa

Chennai

Mar 2008

Chris Gayle (WI)

317

483

37

3

South Africa

Antigua

Apr 2005

Younus Khan (Pak)

313

568

27

4

Sri Lanka

Karachi

Feb 2009

Bob Simpson (Aus)

311

740

23

1

England

Manchester

Jul 1964

John Edrich (Eng)

310*

450

52

5

New Zealand

Leeds

Jul 1965

Virendra Sehwag (Ind)

309

375

39

6

Pakistan

Multan

Mar 2004

Robert Cowper (Bob) (Aus)

307

589

20

1

England

Melbourne

Feb 1966

Don Bradman (Aus)

304

473

43

2

England

Leeds

Jul 1934

Lawrence Rowe (WI)

302

430

36

1

England

Bridgetown

Mar 1974



Record Holders : For the prestigious moments test match batsman ever gets, was first owned by CG Bannerman who made 165 in that first ever test match between England and West Indies in year 1877. Then, WL Murdoch of Australia broke the record in 1884 with his 211 and in process became the first batsman to score a double century in test cricket. Robert Foster took away the record with his 287 against Australia in 1903, before it was broken by A Sandham's first ever triple century = 325. WR Hammond, L Hutton and Gary Sobers held the record for highest test match score before Brain Lara broke Gary Sober's 36 years old record in 1994 with his 375 before making 400, taking record back from Mathew Hayden who held it for just 6 months!