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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar (IND) | 60 | 1625 | 16 | 136 | 36.93 | 3/7 |
| Alastair Cook (ENG) | 53 | 1611 | 8 | 116 | 35.8 | 2/9 |
| Graeme Smith (ICC/SA) | 41 | 1611 | 10 | 154* | 51.96 | 4/9 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) | 49 | 1580 | 11 | 116* | 41.57 | 2/11 |
| Rahul Dravid (ICC/IND) | 57 | 1575 | 18 | 103* | 40.38 | 1/9 |
| Joe Root (ENG) | 44 | 1504 | 8 | 142* | 41.77 | 2/7 |
| Younis Khan (PAK) | 40 | 1465 | 11 | 171* | 50.51 | 5/6 |
| Ricky Ponting (AUS) | 43 | 1462 | 14 | 156 | 50.41 | 4/6 |
| Brian Lara (ICC/WI) | 46 | 1440 | 5 | 153* | 35.12 | 2/7 |
| Sunil Gavaskar (IND) | 33 | 1398 | 9 | 221 | 58.25 | 4/8 |
#10 Sunil Gavaskar
Popularly called the little master, Sunil Gavaskar had a fantastic career for India at the top of the order. The former Indian legend had played many valuable innings, and he was the first-ever cricketer to cross 10,000 runs in Tests. Gavaskar scored 1398 runs in 33 innings at an average of 58.25 in the 4th innings of Tests. He scored 4 centuries and eight half-centuries in the 4th innings of a Test. His highest score of 221 came against England in the famous Oval Test in 1979, where India almost pulled off a historic run chase. Notably, he is one of the 6 batsmen to have scored a double century in the 4th innings of Tests.
#9 Brian Lara
Former West Indies cricketer Brian Lara is one of the all-time greats of the game. He had so much elegance with his batting skills and was one of the toughest batsmen to bowl at. Lara scored 1404 runs in 45 innings at an average of 35.10 in the fourth innings of Tests. Lara scored two centuries and seven half-centuries in the 4th innings of a Test. His highest score has been an unbeaten 153 in the fourth innings. Lara still holds the record for the highest individual score in a Test innings with his 400 not out – one of the greatest moments in Test cricket.
#8 Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting is the most successful captain in international cricket so far. The former Australian batsman was always among the best batsmen of his eras, and he had a great career. Ponting scored 1462 runs in 43 innings at an average of 50.41 in the fourth innings alone. He scored 4 centuries and 6 half-centuries in Tests in the 4th innings. He has the highest score of 156 in the 4th innings. He is currently working as the head coach of the Delhi Capitals side in the IPL 2021.
#7 Younis Khan
Younis Khan was one of the most successful batsmen to have played the game from his country Pakistan. The right-hander retired in 2017 with some impeccable numbers, and he will always be remembered for playing those long innings. Younis Khan scored 1465 runs in 40 innings at an average of 50.52 in the 4th innings. He scored five centuries and six half-centuries in the fourth innings of a Test. He had the highest score of an unbeaten 171 in the 4th innings of a Test.
#6 Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid had one of the best techniques in the game, and he was so elegant to watch on eyes. He had a great career for India and is truly one of the greatest number three batsmen. You can find here – how many runs he has scored against each country, which shows his domination against multiple opponents. Dravid was popularly called the “Wall” for standing up when the team faced big hurdles. He scored 1552 runs in 58 innings at an average of 40.84 in the 4th innings. He scored one century and nine half-centuries in 4th innings with the highest score of an unbeaten 103.
#5 Joe Root
Only player among the current lot of players. Root, along with Alastair Cook, who we will see soon in this chart, have been the leading run-scorers for England in Test cricket. Root crossed the milestone number of 1500 runs in the 4th innings of Tests in his 44th innings. The former captain has scored two centuries while chasing a target in the longer format games. You can find how many centuries Root scored while batting in different scenarios in this article here.
#4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine Chanderpaul proved to the cricketing world that batsmen could be very effective with an unorthodox stance. The former West Indies batsman was brilliant in the 4th innings and has played many match-winning innings. Chanderpaul scored 1580 runs in 49 innings at an average of 41.58 in the 4th innings. He scored two centuries and 11 half-centuries in the 4th innings, with the highest score being an unbeaten 116. He was one of the key batsmen in the West Indies lineup always.
#3 Alastair Cook
Alastair Cook had a fabulous Test career for England, and he was touted to go past the great Sachin Tendulkar’s record even. The former left-handed opener had a good technique that allowed him to survive in tough batting conditions in England. He scored 1611 runs in 53 innings at an average of 35.80 in the 4th innings. He scored two centuries along with the nine half-centuries he scored in the 4th innings. He had the highest score of 116 in the final innings.
#2 Graeme Smith
Graeme Smith was another captain who dominated the world and conquered many nations with some stunning performances. The former South African opener captained the Proteas side at a very young age and was impressive throughout his career. He scored 1611 runs in 41 innings at an average of 53.70 in the final innings. He scored four centuries and nine half-centuries in his fourth innings Test career with the highest score of an unbeaten 154. Also, his famous century against Australia in Perth in 2008 led to the second best highest successful 4th innings run chase in Test cricket ever.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar holds most of the records in the book, and it is no surprise that he tops this list as well. Here are 10 unbreakable Sachin records one should know. The former Indian cricket made his debut for India at the age of 16 and became the all-time highest scorer in Test cricket. He scored 1625 runs in 60 innings at an average of 36.93 in the 4th innings. He scored three centuries and 7 half-centuries in the process of 4th innings totals and finished with the highest score of 136.
