The fastest century in Test cricket is an incredible feat for any batsman and is highly regarded. The longest and most traditional format of the game, which serves as a true test of any batsman’s skills, patience, and technique. Today’s T20 fans are well aware that Test matches are too slow and boring to watch. However, there will always be a couple of matches each year that provide a true taste of traditional cricket while also preventing the abolition of test cricket.
It’s not just about Test matches, but also about the best individual performances. A few decades ago, batsmen became attuned to challenging match batting style. In contrast to today’s batsmen, who strive to score as many runs as possible before being dismissed, patience, resilience, and longevity were valued. Then there were the experimenters, who dared to go against the grain to make Test cricket great. Here is a list of the top five cricketers who scored the fastest Test centuries, making Test matches as exciting as T20s.
List Of Top 5 Fastest Test Hundreds By Player (By Balls Faced) | Which cricketer has scored fastest century in Test cricket?
Brendan McCullum, the former captain & the current coach of New Zealand’s national team, holds the record for the fastest test cricket century of all time, scoring it in just 54 balls against Australia in Christchurch in 2015/16 season. Sir Viv Richards previously held the record, taking 56 balls to reach the fastest century in Test cricket against England during the 1985/86 season.
| Rankings | Player Name | Balls Taken To Score Fastest Test 100 | Match vs | Venue Location | Season/Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brendon McCullum | 54 | New Zealand vs Australia | Christchurch | 2015/16 |
| 2 | Sir IVA Richards | 56 | West Indies vs England | St John’s | 1985/86 |
| 3 | Misbah-ul-Haq | 56 | Pakistan vs Australia | Abu Dhabi | 2014/15 |
| 4 | Adam Gilchrist | 57 | Australia vs England | Perth | 2006/07 |
| 5 | Jack Morrison Gregory | 67 | Australia vs South Africa | Johannesburg | 1921/22 |
Test Batting Records By Players: List Of The Top 5 Fastest Test Hundreds Of All-time
1. Brendon McCullum Scored the fastest century in Test cricket against Australia in 54 balls.
Brendon McCullum, New Zealand’s all-time greatest batsman, has the fastest test century ever scored. It was the series’ final Test match, and Australia won the toss and put New Zealand in to bat on a surface that was expected to help the bowlers. The opening batsman McCullum, made us feel like we are watching a T20 cricket in the test series against Australia in Christchurch in 2016, and he displayed his explosive batting skills in the game’s longest format. When Brendon McCullum entered the field, New Zealand was struggling at 74-4. The player simply did not play in accordance with the circumstances of a test match, but he nonetheless aided the team. McCullum thrashed every Australian bowler en route to becoming the fastest test centurion in just 54 balls and 78 minutes at the crease.
BB McCullum batted his way to a century in 54 balls, hitting 21 fours and 6 sixes as he tore through the best bowlers in Australia, including Josh Hazlewood, James Pattinson, and Nathan Lyon. His innings reflected his aggressive personality; talk about going out with a bang! He individually scored 145 runs and helped New Zealand surpass the 350 runs mark. Even though his efforts were in vain and Australia won both the match and the series, Brendon McCullum once again demonstrated to the world what he stands for.
2. Sir IVA Richards (WI) Scored the fastest century in Test cricket against England in 56 balls.
Viv Richards is widely considered to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He scored 8,540 runs in 121 Tests with an average of 50.23 and 24 centuries during his illustrious career. He was known for his fearless and aggressive batting style. The dynamic Caribbeans were aiming for a whitewash England team in St. John’s in the 1985/86 season, having won the previous four matches in the series.
Sir Viv Richards scored the fastest century of his career in the 5th Test against England in Antigua during the 1986 tour. The West Indies dominated the game from the start and cruised to a comfortable victory. The match, however, was remembered for Sir Vivian Richards’ extraordinary innings in their second innings. With 7 sixes and 7 fours, he completed his fastest test century in 56 balls, breaking Jack Gregory’s long-standing record.
Until the 1990s, batting was much more about saving the wicket than it was about scoring most runs in any format of cricket. So even a strike rate of 100 in ODIs was significant, and the tests were all about survival. As a batsman, your job was to go in and survive, and the runs would come. When Viv Richards smashed a glamorous century at a strike rate of around 190 in a Test match at the time, it stunned the world. He held the record until 2014 when Misbah-Ul-Haq equaled it, and later that year, Brendon McCullum scored a century in 54 balls, setting a new record after 30 years.
3. Misbah-Ul-Haq (PAK) Scored Fastest Test Hundred Against Australia In 56 Balls.
During the November 2014/15 Australian tour of the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan was already leading the 2-0 match series 1-0, and they were on the verge of clinching the series by the first innings. Misbah-Ul-Haq is content most of the time to take his time on the crease and play himself in slowly. In 2014, he earned the moniker “Tuk-Tuk.” This isn’t the type of person you’d expect to see on this fastest century in Test cricket list. Misbah-ul-Haq’s purpose in the second innings of that Test was to debunk the nickname.
Younis Khan hit a double century, Azhar Ali hit a century, and Misbah-Ul-Haq hit a century where each of their batting contributions helped Pakistan to set a solid first innings score of 461. Australia was all out for 261 runs, but Pakistan needed to win the match in the second innings to avoid a tie. Azhar Ali and Misbah-Ul-Haq both scored centuries, but Misbah-Ul-Haq’s 56-ball century, which included 11 fours and five sixes, was the game’s highlight. It effectively ended the game for Pakistan and provided enough time for the bowlers to annihilate the Australian batting line-up.
4. Adam Gilchrist (AUS) Scored Fastest Test 100 Against England In 57 Balls
Adman Gilchrist’s 57-ball century ranks fourth on the list of the Fastest Centuries in Test Cricket History. The Australian opener was a left-handed attacking batsman. With his aggressive batting style, the aggressive cricketer is said to have redefined the Australian cricket team, and he is widely regarded as the greatest wicket-keeper of all time. It was the Ashes, and Test cricket had never been more thrilling. Perth hosted the third test of the 2006/07 Ashes series.
Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke both scored centuries, while Matthew Hayden was out at 92. When Adam Gilchrist came in, Australia was already in a safe position, having scored 365 runs with the loss of five wickets. He began attacking right away, reducing England’s chances of winning the match. His innings featured 12 fours and four sixes, Adam Gilchrist scored the second-fastest test century at the time in just 57 balls, and Australia cruised to a total of 527/5, which was too good for the English to chase. With Adam Gilchrist’s century, Australia won the third Test match and reclaimed the Ashes.
5. Jack Morrison Gregory Scored Fastest Test Century In 67 Balls.
Jack Gregory’s 67-ball Test century record stood for nearly six decades until Sir Viv Richards scored the fastest test century in the 1985/86 season. This occurred during the second Test of Australia’s 1921 tour of South Africa. After winning the toss, Australia elected to bat first. When Australia was 128 for 2, Jack Gregory came in to bat. From the start, Jack Gregory was bold, aggressive, and attacking in an attempt to put pressure on the South African side. The batting style was the first of its kind, beginning with boundaries and strokes all over the field. Though this record has been challenged by a few others in recent years, Gregory remains unbeaten in terms of minutes played. It only took him 70 minutes to get the century.
Top 5 Fastest Test Centuries Of All-Time (In Terms Of Minutes Played) | Quickest Test Century List
| Minutes Taken To Score Century | Player Name | Match vs | Venue | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 | JM Gregory | Australia vs South Africa | Johannesburg | 1921/22 |
| 74 | Misbah-ul-Haq | Pakistan vs Australia | Abu Dhabi | 2014/15 |
| 77 | GL Jessop | England vs Australia | The Oval | 1902 |
| 78 | R Benaud | Australia vs West Indies | Kingston | 1954/55 |
| 78 | BB McCullum | New Zealand vs Australia | Christchurch | 2015/16 |
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Conclusion
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