Batting in the Test arena is a different ball game. A batter needs to assess the situation to play accordingly and tire out the opposition.
Sometimes they need to bat for a longer duration to ensure their team ends up on the winning side. And we have witnessed such breathtaking knocks in the history of Test cricket.
Here we will look at the 5 best batting performances in Test cricket.
Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka): 153* vs South Africa, 2019
Batting in the fourth innings of a Test match is a tough task. But Kusal Perera kept calm to script one of the best batting performances in away Test matches.
Sri Lanka were chasing a target of 304 runs against a quality pace attack of South Africa. Sri Lanka got a decent start, with openers scoring 42 runs for the first wicket.
But they lost 3 wickets in the span of 4 overs, prompting Perera to walk out towards the end of the third day’s play. He stitched a 58-run partnership with Oshada Fernando for the fourth wicket, followed by a 96-run stand with Dhananjaya de Silva for the sixth wicket.
After de Silva’s departure on 206, Sri Lanka lost 3 more wickets in the next 20 runs, pushing them almost to the brink of a loss. Perera was left with the No. 11 batter Vishwa Fernando.
But he didn’t give up and marched towards the target. Fernando kept blocking the balls while Perera took his chances, scoring his hundred off 146 balls.
After reaching his century, Perera kept finding occasional boundaries to close the gap. Finally, the left-hander took his side over the ropes with a four, and he remained unbeaten on 153.
VVS Laxman (India): 281 vs Australia, 2001
The 2001 Kolkata Test between India and Australia is remembered for the resilience shown by VVS Laxman. India were one down going into the second Test of the series, and they needed to win it to keep themselves alive.
The ruthless Aussies were on an invincible winning streak. And riding on that confidence, they put up 445 in the first innings.
In return, India mustered only 171, with Laxman (59) being the top-scorer. With a massive lead of 274 runs, Australia enforced a follow-on on India.
The Indian men were back again on the crease, with openers putting up a 52-run stand. After his gutsy knock in the first essay, the management sent Laxman at No. 3.
He then built a 45-run stand with Shiv Sundar Das for the second wicket, followed by a 117-run partnership with captain Sourav Ganguly.
Laxman then got the company of Rahul Dravid. Both batters piled on a match-winning 376-run stand to sweep away Australia in the match.
Laxman fell to Glenn McGrath on the score of 608 but not before hammering 281 runs. His knock helped India set a target of 384 runs, which the Indian bowlers defended successfully, scripting a massive comeback victory.
Ben Stokes (England): 135* vs Australia, 2019
After the heroics of Kusal Perera in Durban earlier in the year, Ben Stokes unleashed his beast against Australia in Leeds in almost a similar fashion.
England wrapped up Australia for 179 in the first innings. And in return, they also got bowled out on 67 runs, with Australia taking a decisive lead of 112 runs.
Australia further added 246 runs to set up a target of 359 runs in front of the hosts. England were under pressure after being one down in the series.
The pressure was visible as they lost their openers on the score of 15 in the chase. England were on 141 for 3 when Stokes joined captain Joe Root.
They had a small partnership between them and Stokes went on to share an 86-run stand with Jonny Bairstow. Keeper Bairstow departed on 245 and England slumped to 286 for 9.
Stokes had the company of No. 11 Jack Leach, with whom he put on a stand of 76 runs to take England home. He remained unbeaten on 135, which included 11 fours and 8 sixes.
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Ian Botham (England): 149* vs Australia, 1981
Leeds witnessed an unforgettable rescue act from one of England’s best all-rounders, Ian Botham. It was the third Test of the 1981 Ashes series.
Batting first, Australia declared their innings on 401 for 9 and bundled out England for 174 runs. Australia enforced a follow-on on England, with a healthy lead of 227 runs in their hand.
England had a terrible start in their second essay, and Ian Botham walked in at No. 7 with his team reeling at 105 for 5. The situation worsened as England slipped to 135 for 7.
Botham was now left with the tail-enders. But he stitched crucial partnerships for the last 3 wickets, taking England to 356 runs and setting a decent target of 130 for Australia.
Botham’s unbeaten 149 along with the partnerships with the tali-enders proved enough for England to rout Australia for 111 runs to win the match.
Kyle Mayers (West Indies): 210* vs Bangladesh, 2021
Kyle Mayers delivered a masterful knock on his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2021. The West Indies were chasing a mighty target of 395 on a turning track in Chattogram.
They were struggling at 59 for 3 when Mayers came to bat. Before this match, no visiting team had chased down a target above 350 in Asia.
But Mayers helped the West Indies create history. He lifted the Caribbean side from 59 for 3 to 275 for 4 with the help of Nkrumah Bonner. Both batters contributed 216 runs for the fourth wicket.
Then Mayers got the company of Joshua Da Silva, with whom he put on a crucial 100-run partnership. This stand took them closer to the victory as Mayers remained unbeaten on 210, which is the fifth-highest score on Test debut.
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