Longest fourth innings in Test by minutes

Being in the crease was one of the most important tasks for any batsman. Test cricket history is filled with famous performances by a plethora of batsmen, some of which were lengthy innings. A batter’s skill and capability to take the lead under pressure situations is determined by how long he spends on the crease. However, doing that during a Test match’s final innings, when the pressure is at its highest speaks volumes of a players’ calibre.

Let us look at players who have played the longest innings (by minutes) in the fourth innings of a Test match:

524 – Abdullah Shafique vs Sri Lanka in 2022

Abdullah Shafique, Pakistan’s opening batsman, recently climbed into the top three of the list while leading his team to a stunning victory against Sri Lanka in Galle in July 2022. Abdullah batted through the game’s final over while opening for the Pakistani side in the fourth innings, staying unbeaten while hitting 160*(408) and spending 524 minutes in the middle. Shafique set a global record by being the first batsman to complete a successful run chase while batting for more than 500 minutes.

603 – Babar Azam vs Australia in 2022

The second player in the unique list is Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. In March 2022, Pakistan hosted Australia for a three-match Test series. The milestone was accomplished by Babar during the second Test, which finished in a stalemate. He was able to utilize the Karachi pitch to its best as it had been favourable to batters. He played for 603 minutes and amassed 196 runs in 425 deliveries.

643 – Michael Atherton vs South Africa in 1995

An unbelievable feat was achieved by England’s Mike Atherton on December 4, 1995, in the face of a fierce South African pace attack. Atherton was a player who regularly prevailed over some of the most terrifying bowlers and this performance of his will always be remembered as his finest. At the end of the grueling 165 overs, England had scored 351/5, and Atherton had batted for 643 minutes, facing 492 balls and scoring 185 runs in a record-setting innings.