Even though batting in the Test format is considered tough, a few select batters have scored runs for fun. And not just a handful of runs, but remarkable Test centuries.

Some swashbuckling batters like Brendon McCullum, Viv Richards, and David Warner have etched their names in the record books by scoring the fastest Test hundreds.

In this article, let’s take a look at the top 10 fastest centuries in Test cricket history.

Fastest Centuries in Test Cricket

PlayerBalls Taken to 100AgainstVenueYear
Brendon McCullum (NZ) 54AustraliaChristchurch2016
Viv Richards (WI)56EnglandSt John’s1986
Misbah-ul-Haq (PAK)56AustraliaAbu Dhabi2014
Adam Gilchrist (AUS)57EnglandPerth2006
Jack Gregory (AUS)67South AfricaJohannesburg1921
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI)69AustraliaGeorgetown2003
David Warner (AUS)69IndiaPerth2012
Chris Gayle (WI)70AustraliaPerth2009
Roy Fredericks (WI)71AustraliaPerth1975
Colin de Grandhomme (NZ)71West IndiesWellington2017

Key Insights

54: New Zealand’s former captain, Brendon McCullum, played a breathtaking knock in what was his last Test match. McCullum signed off from international cricket by scoring the fastest Test century while batting against Australia in the 2nd Test. He reached his hundred off just 54 balls, leaving everyone awestruck by his blistering innings.

30: When McCullum hammered the fastest hundred in Tests, he went past Viv Richards’ 30-year-old record of scoring a Test hundred off 56 balls. Richards’, the Caribbean legend, achieved this feat in 1986, when such knocks were just the stuff of dreams.

186: Brendon McCullum also notched up one of the fastest Test double-hundreds. He brought up his double century in 186 deliveries.

90: There are more than 90 instances where batters have scored Test centuries in less than 100 balls.

7: India’s fiery opening batter, Virender Sehwag, smashed an astounding 7 hundreds in less than 100 balls, which is the most by any batter.

6: WACA Stadium in Perth and Sydney Cricket Ground have seen 6 fastest Test centuries each. This highlights the role of pitches at both venues that have helped batters accumulate hundreds at a faster pace.

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