Test cricket and double hundred this is the most daunting task for a player to do in a test cricket. The amount of patience, skills and temperament required to bat out in the middle to reach the milestone. With the transformation of cricket in the last three decades there were more results in red-ball cricket as compared to past decades.
The conditions are very much different from other formats of a game batsman has to adapt before reaching the double hundred – in many ways it is not that easy. But who says test cricket is a boring contest? There are few gems of players with his gifted hand-eye coordination who make the test match real entertaining with their jaw-dropping stroke playing abilities.
Let us take a look at the Top 5 batsman with fastest double hundreds in test cricket:
1. Nathan Astle – 153 Balls – New Zealand:
Still in 2020 the record of fastest double hundred is held by Nathan Astle. This knock was played in 2002 when there was no T-20 cricket. Test cricket was booming back then in many ways the knock was epic when there was no T-20 cricket. Fans around the world were stunned to see such insane hitting from a player and kept guessing whether it was a match actually or a highlight section of a game.
One of the greatest all-rounder batsmen ever produced by kiwis in their history. First test match of the series at Christchurch in 2002, both the teams have bowled out at low score in their first innings England 228 and New Zealand 147 respectively.
The hosts were looking to repeat the same form but they shifted towards the tourists as England decided to declare their second innings at 468/6 with the unbeaten double hundred from Graham Thorpe. With a target of 550 in the fourth innings it was a complete impossible task. No one has hoped for anything from the hosts after their first innings score.
But hosts fought back in the second innings till the ninth wicket to fall then walked in injured Chris cairns. With more than 200 runs to win from here England bowlers were confident to take the final in a span of few next deliveries. But what followed next was the nightmare for them. Nathan Astle counter-attack punch changed the direction of the match.
Astle went berserk and smashed the fastest double hundred of all-time in the history of cricket. England star bowlers were clueless in front of astle. 153-ball Astle took to smash his double hundred. At once everyone thought this was going to be the highest chase in history. But Nathan Astle at the score of 222 runs of 168 balls including 28 fours and 11 sixes was the last man out for New Zealand. As a result New Zealand lost the match by 98 runs.
2. Ben Stokes – 163 Balls – England:
One of the finest all-rounders for the England team in modern-day cricket. This epic came in the second test match of the series against South Africa. After winning the toss, England decided to bat first on the cape town track.
England's team went onto post massive scores of 629/6 in their first innings before declaring the innings. With 223/5 at one stage the England team looked in trouble then walked in Bairstow to join the southpaw Ben stokes. But followed next was the carnage from the southpaw who went berserk and smashed the second fastest double hundred in history.
Ben Stokes completed his double hundred in 163-ball and scored 258 runs off 198 balls including 30 fours and 11 Sixes. Ben Stokes was adjudged with man of the match award for his double hundred.
Although the match ended in a draw as South Africa also scored over 600-plus with the double hundred from Hashim Amla.
3. Virender Sehwag – 168 Balls – India:
And finally the double hundred specialist arrived. No batsman in history can match the calibre of this Swagger. Virender Sehwag could've been the only batsman with three triple centuries in the history if this double century converted into a triple century but missed the mark by just 7 runs.
293 runs off 254 balls including 40 fours and 7 sixes against the great spin attack of Muralitharan and Herath. Sehwag went berserk on every Lanka and smashed the third fastest double hundred of the history and helped team India to post 726/9 almost confirmed that team India will not come bat again.
The result was clear as the Sri- Lanka couldn't manage to cross the 400-run mark in both of their innings and lost the match by 24 runs. Sehwag was declared man of the match for his 293 run knock.
4. Virender Sehwag – 182 Balls – India:
One more time into the list clearly defines how dangerous this player was in his career. Virender Sehwag was in the golden form of his career during this innings. Although the match belonged to the batsman from both the sides.
The rain affected the match and the result was clear: it will draw at the end. But Indian swagger batsman poured life into it and made it entertaining. Pakistan after declaring their first innings at 679/7 doesn't expect that hitting from delhi-dasher.
Virender Sehwag 254 runs off 247 balls including 47 fours and one Six went berserk while putting on a record breaking partnership for the first wicket of 410 runs along with Rahul Dravid.
Virender Sehwag completed the fourth fastest double century in 182-ball in history. The match was drawn and dominated by the batsman of both sides but Virender Sehwag was picked man of the match for his another double hundred knock.
Must Read | 5 Best Innings of Virender Sehwag
5. Brendon McCullum – 186 Balls – New Zealand:
The fastest test century in the last match of his career was not a wrong or mis-timing knock. Another explosive knock came from Brendon McCullum bat in 2014 at Sharjah. It was 2014 when Pakistan faced-off against New Zealand at Sharjah on spin-friendly track during the 3rd test match of the series.
New-Zealand was trailing by 1-0 in the series and it was a do and die match for them. After winning the toss, Pakistan managed to score 351 in their first innings and looked to humiliate the tourists one more time. But what followed next was the counter-attack punch from the explosive batsman.
Brendon McCullum went berserk and scored 202 runs off 188 balls including 21 fours and 11 sixes and also smashed the fifth fastest double hundred of all-time in 186-ball.
New Zealand went onto posted 690 in their first innings with the double hundred from the flamboyant batsman Brendon McCullum almost confirmed the victory before Pakistan humiliated too in the second innings and managed to score 259 runs and lost the match by 80 runs.
Check here the Top 5 Batsman With Fastest centuries in Test Cricket
