Top 3 Test innings with the highest strike rate

The Test format puts the batter in a challenging situation, as they look to score big like the white-ball format. While there are many who have excelled in the traditional format, there are just a few who have had remarkable Test careers. The red-ball format demands calmness, quietness, immovability, steadiness, patience, and above everything, dependability from the batters.

Let us look at three batters who possessed these qualities and smashed a huge score in their innings at the highest strike rate.

177.19 – Misbah-ul-Haq vs Australia in 2014

The then Pakistani skipper overcame all odds and proved his worth in the side with his magnificent ton as he went on to equal the legendary Vivian Richards’ record for the fastest Test ton, in the year 2014 while playing against Australia. After all the criticism, he notched up a brilliant hundred and anchored his team from a terrible situation. After hitting a century in the first innings (101 off 168), he went on to smash another (101 off 57) in the second innings, at a strike rate of 177.19 as Pakistan won the game by 356 runs.

183.54 – Brendon McCullum vs Australia in 2016

Up until his final international match, former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum played cricket on his own terms. McCullum’s record-breaking century against Australia in Christchurch on February 20, 2016, was the perfect end to his illustrious cricket career. He surpassed Misbah-ul-Haq and Vivian Richards’ joint record for the quickest Test century, by two balls. He did it in just 54 balls while batting at a mind-blowing strike rate of 183.54, but unfortunately, Australia won the Test match.

189.65 – Viv Richards vs England in 1986

West Indies got off to a good start in the first innings as they posted 474 runs before they were all out. They cleaned up the visitors England for 310 runs before declaring the second innings at 246/2, courtesy of skipper Vivian Richards. The prolific batter notched up a magnificent ton at a strike rate of 189.65 as he remained unbeaten at 110*(58). West Indies were leading the five-match series by 4-0, and with the tremendous performance in the fifth game, they managed to clean sweep England and clinch the series by 5-0.