Test cricket is the ultimate proving ground for cricket’s true champions. This demanding format requires not just skill, but an iron will and extraordinary mental fortitude. While many play, only a handful have truly mastered the art of Test cricket, leaving behind legendary performances that seem almost impossible to replicate. These rare athletes have etched their names in cricket history with achievements that continue to inspire and amaze fans around the world.
Let’s delve into the list of the 11 impressive records that are almost unbreakable:
1. Virat Kohli – 7 double centuries as Test captain
For Virat Kohli, there was a period when he routinely hit runs and hundreds for enjoyment, particularly between 2016 and 2019. As the game’s longest format’s captain, Kohli owns a singular record. He went on to set a record with seven double centuries between July 2016 and October 2019 while serving as India’s full-time Test captain.
2. Mark Boucher – 555 dismissals
Mark Boucher is considered to be one of the best wicketkeepers to have ever played the game. He has a record of 555 dismissals in the longest version of the game. In the meanwhile, Boucher has 999 expulsions across all formats, another figure that might not be contested.
3. Ricky Ponting – 108 Test wins
Ponting led Australia to notable international wins like the 2003 and 2007 World Cup championships, and back-to-back ICC Champions Trophy victories in the 2006 and 2009 editions. In terms of his individual prowess in Test cricket, the former Australian captain has won up to 108 games as a player, a record that cannot be easily broken.
4. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene’s 624-run partnership
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara together helped Sri Lanka achieve success throughout the 2000s and into the middle of the 2010s. The pair set a world record partnership of 624 runs for the third wicket in 2006 while playing South Africa in Colombo.
5. Rahul Dravid – 210 catches
Rahul Dravid is an underappreciated player in Indian cricket who stood up for his group in difficult situations. More notably, from 1996 to 2012, he had a productive international career. Dravid is the only player in the longest format to have taken 210 catches on the field, which is an exceptional accomplishment.
Rahul Dravid was a dependable player for India in Test Cricket
6. Shortest Test match – Australia vs South Africa in 1932
In the history of test cricket, numerous games have been called off rather early. The shortest Test match ever was contested in Melbourne between Australia and South Africa in 1932. It finished in only 5 hours and 53 minutes. The Aussies scored 153 and skittled the Proteas for 36 and 45.
7. Hanif Mohammad – longest stay at the crease
Many hitters in Pakistani cricket have made a significant impression on the international stage with consistent performances. Hanif Mohammad was one of them. In January 1958, he lasted more than sixteen hours at the wicket against the West Indies and set a new Test record.
8. Wilfred Rhodes – set the record for being the oldest player to play Test cricket
Wilfred Rhodes, an English all-rounder, set the record for being the oldest player to play Test cricket. At 52 years and 165 days old, he set this record on April 3, 1930, against the West Indies.
9. Muttiah Muralitharan – 800 wickets
Muttiah Muralitharan, a legendary spinner from Sri Lanka, is one of the best players to ever spin the ball. His total of 800 wickets in Test matches may never be surpassed.
10. Brian Lara – 400 runs
In the 1990s and into the early 2000s, Brian Lara was perhaps the finest Test hitter. He went on to score an undefeated 400 against England in Antigua in April 2004 a few months later.
11. Donald Bradman’s Test average
Possibly the finest batter to ever play the game of cricket is Sir Donald Bradman. Bradman holds the record for the highest Test average in history (99.94).
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FAQ
Who was a dependable player for India in Test Cricket?
Rahul Dravid was a dependable player for India in Test Cricket.
Who was perhaps the finest Test hitter?
Brian Lara was perhaps the finest Test hitter.