Test cricket, the purest, and the oldest form of the game are characterized by mental toughness, adaptability, and patience. A batsman does not need to go all out. He has to spend time, go through challenging spells, and earn the runs. Test cricket indeed is the real test of the character of a person. There have been instances when batsmen have spent hours on the crease to tackle difficult conditions.
In this article, we look at the top 5 individual test-innings with most time spent on the crease:
5. Len Hutton - 364 runs, 797 minutes, v/s Australia, The Oval, 1938:
Len Hutton was one of the greatest English batsmen of the older generation. One of his most memorable knocks came in the fifth test of the 1938 Ashes series. Bradman’s Australia had already lost the Ashes and they were greeted with a dull pitch at The Oval. The pitch did absolutely nothing. It was almost as if it was meant for a timeless test. What added more to the misery of the Australians was that England won the toss, batted first and piled up 347 runs on day 1 with just one wicket down. Hutton was a young 22-year fellow who was still making a mark in international cricket. He had a fellow Yorkshiremen Leyland on the other who was coming to the end of his career. While Leyland took more of the scoring responsibility, Hutton showed that he believed in blocking more than anything else. It took him 173 balls to score his fifty. What was hurting the Aussies was the fact that the English batsmen were neither getting out, thanks to a dead pitch nor were they scoring quickly. Hutton added 382 runs with Leyland for the second wicket which was then an English record for any wicket. Hutton piled up partnerships one after the other. He became the first player to be involved in three-century partnerships in the same innings. England tortured the Aussies for 3 days as they piled up 903 runs, England’s highest team total ever. Hutton’s 364 still remains the highest individual score at The Oval. When Australians came into bat, they just crumbled and England won by an innings and 579 runs.
Match Scorecard: 5th Test, Australia tour of England at The Oval, Aug 20-24 1938
4. Sanath Jayasuriya - 340 runs, 799 minutes, v/s India, Colombo, 1997:
6th August 1997 was a record-breaking day in the history of test cricket. India’s tour of Sri Lanka for a 2-match test series was a dull affair with two boring draws on two docile pitches. However, the first test saw some records tumble. After India batted first, they wreaked havoc on the Sri Lankans and scored 538 with Tendulkar, Sidhu, and Azharuddin scoring a century each. India would have been confident of an innings victory but Sri Lanka had different ideas. Jayasuriya piled up 340 runs and added 576 runs with Roshan Mahanama. This remains the highest partnership for any wicket in test cricket. Moreover, their partnership lasted for two full days which is the only such instance in Test cricket history. Jayasuriya who was characterized by dominant and aggressive play batted in a rather subdued fashion. Sri Lanka ended up with 973 runs which still remains the highest team total in tests. The game just did not move ahead and ended in a draw. Check here about the More Sanath Jayasuriya Records
Match Scorecard: 1st Test, India tour of Sri Lanka at Colombo (RPS), Aug 2-6 1997
3. Alastair Cook- 263, 836 minutes, v/s Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 2015:
Cook, England’s leading run-scorer in tests has been known for gritty and tough, much like other English greats. He gave a detailed description of his patience and resilience at Abu Dhabi in the first test against Pakistan in 2015. The common thing about all the instances in this article is the presence of dull pitches. There was another dull pitch on offer in this game. Pakistan posted a massive 523 onboard after batting first. Cook realized that England needed to put in the hard yards and he led from the front. There was enough reason for him to be tough as England lost 2 wickets early. He did get support from other English players and England just batted forever. Cook was eventually dismissed for 263 but not before he tortured the Pakistan batsmen for 13 hours and 56 minutes. England declared with a lead of 65 on the fifth day and bowled Pakistan were bowled out for 173, courtesy a fifer for Adil Rashid. England needed 99 runs in 19 overs which was very gettable but the bad light played the spoilsport. Cook, though played a historic knock, was criticized for not taking the game forward and England just missed out on a famous victory.
2. Gary Kirsten - 275, 878 minutes, v/s England, Durban, 1999:
Throughout the 90s, alongside a bunch of flamboyant players like Jacques Kallis, Darryl Kulinan and Lance Klusenor, there was a gritty and old-fashioned yet very effective Gary Kirsten in the South African team. He showed the world the limits of his concentration and skill with a 275 against England in Durban. Unlike some of the other knocks in this list, Kirsten’s abysmally long knock was not meant for criticism but it was rather the need of the hour. England piled up 366 after batting first, thanks to a brilliant 146 by the skipper Nasser Hussain. South Africa, in reply, was bowled out for a mere 156 as Andrew Caddick who ended up 7 wickets wreaked havoc on the South Africans. South Africa was too far behind in the game and the defeat seemed inevitable as Hussain asked South Africa to follow-on. Imagining a victory was too far-fetched, so South Africa decided to get stuck out there and Kirsten led the way as he was the perfect man to deal with this kind of situation. South Africa batted for two full days as they made a colossal 572 before the game was drawn. Kirsten’s 275 saved the day for South Africa and an embarrassing series defeat. It was definitely not a good advertisement for the game and for the crowds but the result of the game is more important than anything else for a team.
Match Scorecard: 3rd Test, England tour of South Africa at Durban, Dec 26-30 1999
1. Hanif Mohammad - 337, 970 minutes, v/s West Indies, Bridgetown, 1958:
Hanif Mohammad, Pakistan’s greatest opening batsman of the older era holds the record for the longest innings in the history of test cricket. West Indies boasted of an unbelievably strong line-up with Everton Weeks, Clyde Walcott, Garry Sobers and Rohan Kanhai. They all chipped in the second test of the series against Pakistan on one belter of a pitch at Bridgetown, Guyana in 1958. They piled the misery on a weak Pakistan team for two days in scorching heat and ended up with 579. Pakistan was new to test cricket with a mere six years of experience under its belt. No way, they could have challenged this strong West Indian line-up in their own backyard. They played like minnows in the first innings and folded for 106. West Indies enforced a follow-on. Another embarrassing batting display was on cards but Hanif Mohommad had different ideas. Remember, it was a six-day test match. So Pakistan had to bat for almost 3 days to save the test match. Hanif Mohommad, though made the impossible seem possible. Pakistan put on a marathon for three days as the West Indies bowlers were made to taste their own medicine. It was out of the blue, something unimaginable. Pakistan, for the first time, showed the world that they are meant to play at the highest level. Hanif Mohammad seemed unperturbed by the fire that the bowlers as well the sun had on offer for him. He batted for 970 minutes with little supporting acts from his partners. Pakistan ended up 673 and the game was drawn.
Match Scorecard: 1st Test, Pakistan tour of West Indies at Bridgetown, Jan 17-23 1958
