The 4th inning of Tests is one of the most difficult times to bat. The pitch becomes gets-used for three innings, which gets it very deteriorated, and cracks could start opening. In subcontinent pitches, it is almost unplayable for any batsmen against the spin.
Those batsmen who have still scored runs in 4th innings do deserve a special note. They are considered legends of the game as only a few have been able to cope with the pressure of 4th innings in Test.
Let us look at the top 10 batsmen with the most runs in the 4th innings of Tests.
Most Runs in 4th Innings in Test Cricket
| PLAYER | INNS | RUNS | NOT OUTS | HIGH SCORE | AVERAGE | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Root (ENG) | 52 | 1743 | 11 | 142* | 42.51 | 2/10 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 60 | 1625 | 16 | 136 | 36.93 | 3/7 |
| Alastair Cook (ENG) | 53 | 1611 | 8 | 116 | 35.8 | 2/9 |
| Graeme Smith (SA) | 41 | 1611 | 10 | 154* | 51.96 | 4/9 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) | 49 | 1580 | 11 | 116* | 41.57 | 2/11 |
| Rahul Dravid (IND) | 57 | 1575 | 18 | 103* | 40.38 | 1/9 |
| Younis Khan (PAK) | 40 | 1465 | 11 | 171* | 50.51 | 5/6 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 43 | 1462 | 14 | 156 | 50.41 | 4/6 |
| Brian Lara (WI) | 46 | 1440 | 5 | 153* | 35.12 | 2/7 |
| Sunil Gavaskar (IND) | 33 | 1398 | 9 | 221 | 58.25 | 4/8 |
Key Insights
Joe Root has aggregated the most runs in the fourth innings in Test cricket history. He overtook Sachin Tendulkar to claim the top spot.
Over 35 batters have scored 1000 runs in the fourth innings in Tests. Among them, Geoffrey Boycott has the highest batting average. The former Australian opener averaged 58.76 while scoring 1234 runs in 34 fourth innings.
Five batters – Tendulkar, Root, Rahul Dravid, Alastair Cook, and Kraigg Brathwaite – have batted in 50 or more fourth innings.
Kane Williamson and Younis Khan are the two batters to smash five or more Test hundreds in the fourth innings. (Check out Kane Williamson’s Test centuries here.)
None of Williamson’s centuries have ended up in losses, with four of them coming in successful run chases for New Zealand. South Africa’s Graeme Smith is the other batter with four hundreds in successful chases.
Chris Gayle, Graeme Smith, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored 13 fifty-plus scores, the joint-most in fourth innings in Tests. Ten of Smith’s fifty-plus scores came in successful chases, the most by a batter.
George Headley has smashed the highest Test score in the fourth innings. The former Caribbean batter aggregated a 223-run knock against England in the Jamaica Test.
In all, six batters have racked up Test double centuries in the fourth innings. Among them, Gordon Greenidge (214* vs ENG) and Kyle Mayers (210* vs BAN) – both from the West Indies – had their double tons in successful chases.
Nathan Astle’s 222 is behind Headley’s 223 in the fourth innings. But Astle brought up the fastest double hundred in the fourth innings of a Test. He reached the 200-run mark off 153 balls against England in 2002.
Gilbert Jessop, meanwhile, has smashed the quickest Test century in the fourth innings. He raced past the 100-run mark in 76 balls against Australia in 1902.
Jonny Bairstow, who trails Jessop with a 77-ball ton, has recorded the highest strike rate by a centurion in the first innings of a Test (where ball-by-ball data is available). He scored 136 off 92 balls at a strike rate of 147.82 in the above innings.
1556 of Graeme Smith’s 1611 runs came as South Africa’s captain, the most by a skipper in the fourth innings. He is the only captain with more than 1000 runs in the fourth innings in Tests. Smith’s four centuries and 13 fifty-plus scores are also the most as a skipper.
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