Most double centuries in Test cricket
Test cricket is one of the toughest formats of the game. Playing against new red balls and good seam bowlers is never simple. Batting must be executed with considerable patience and the least possible faults in order to achieve large individual scores. To last on the pitch for a long time, one needs to have excellent technique and endurance.
In a Test match, players that get off to a strong start often reach large scores like half-centuries, centuries, and double centuries. Let us have a look at three players who have the most double centuries in the traditional format:
3. Brian Lara
Lara excelled at playing lengthy innings and had nine double centuries to his name. His most celebrated knocks are the ones against England. Lara’s best innings came against England, not just once but twice. He smashed 375 runs against the opponents in the year 1994 and set a world record for the highest individual score in the format. Matthew Hayden surpassed him with 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003, but Lara’s unbeaten 400* against England in 2004 helped him gain the top spot back.
2. Kumar Sangakkara
The legendary batter from Sri Lanka has 11 double centuries in 134 matches in total. Sangakkara’s 319 against Bangladesh in the year 2014 was the best knock of his career as it also came just a year before he announced his retirement. But throughout his career, the wicketkeeper-batter had gone near to striking a triple ton many times. Sangakkara was a prolific batter and his knocks were a treat to the eyes.
1. Don Bradman
Former Australian cricket legend Don Bradman has 12 Test double tons to his name, the most by any player in the history of the game. His first one came against England in June 1930 at Lord’s, and his last came in December 1946 at home at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He added 10 more in between, including two triple hundreds and a 299-run unbeaten score. No batter has come close to Bradman’s lifetime batting average of 99.94, and thus he is recognised as the best ever to have ever played Test cricket.
