Cricketers with most double centuries in Test cricket

Pakistan registered their maiden Test series win on English soil in 1981 where they won the 5-match rubber by 1-0 margin. Pakistan held a 1-0 lead at the end of the 4th Test while the final Test at The Oval ended in a draw. Javed Miandad scored a double century in the first innings as the visitors fancied an innings win. Miandad walked to bat when Pakistan were 45/2 and returned to the pavilion as the 5th wicket at the score of 575.

He struck 28 fours and a six during his 617-minute stay at the crease where he scored 260 from 521 balls. It was Miandad’s 4th double century in Test cricket and also his first away from home. Javed Miandad struck two more double tons in this format before his retirement. At that time, he was only the 3rd player after Sir Donald Bradman (12) and Wally Hammond (7) to score as many as six double centuries. A total of nine players after Miandad did score six or more double tons in Test cricket.

However, Bradman’s 12 double centuries still remains as a record. Kumar Sangakkara threatened to break this record but could only make 11 200s before announcing his retirement from international cricket. Brian Lara scored as many as nine double hundreds in his 131-match Test career while Mahela Jayawardene and Virat Kohli got seven 200s apiece. All seven double tons of Virat Kohli came in the space of four years and all as captain. Kohli currently holds the record for most Test double tons as captain.

Kohli has a chance of breaking Bradman’s record as he has played in 86 Test matches thus far and is likely to play at least 4-5 years of Test cricket. Miandad is currently tied on six double centuries with five other players. Marvan Atapattu, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting and Pakistan’s Younis Khan are the other five players with exactly six Test double hundreds.

Most double centuries by a player in Test cricket:

(Stats as on August 6, 2020)