Test cricket is the oldest form of cricket and the most reputable format. The format requires patience and consistency throughout all five days. In ODIs, one good day and you can defeat anyone, but in test cricket, you have to be at your best for all the days. There are also players who have single-handedly batted for two days and scored massive individual scores. Now, the question would be, what are the highest test scores ever?
Some of the greatest test batters that we have seen over the years are Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Alastair Cook, Joe Root, and Allan Border.
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Brian Lara (400*)
West Indies were already losing the series 3-0, but the 4th Test match was made for the history books. Brian Lara scored 400* runs in the first innings, which included forty-three fours and four sixes, and is still the highest individual score by a player in test cricket. The match eventually ended in a draw, but a world record was set by Brian Lara.
Matthew Hayden (380)
Hayden broke the previous record of Brian Lara’s 375 runs against Zimbabwe in 2003. He played with his style, which showed aggression and pure dominance against a weak Zimbabwe team. Matthew Hayden’s knock of 380 runs included thirty-eight fours and a massive eleven sixes at a strike rate of 86.95. Australia won the match by an innings and 175 runs.
Brian Lara (375)
This is Brian Lara’s second-highest score in the Highest Test Scores Ever, and being in the top three shows how great and patient he was while batting for the West Indies in test cricket. He scored this in 1994, and again, England were the opponent. Lara hit forty-five fours, and there was no six. The match ended in a draw, but eventually, West Indies won the series 3-1
Mahela Jayawardene (374)
This inning was iconic for two reasons: first, it was the highest ever individual score by a Sri Lankan batsman, and second, he and his best friend Kumar Sangakkara had a partnership of 624 runs. Mahela Jayawardene’s knock of 374 runs included forty-three fours and one six and came against South Africa in the year 2006. It is also the highest individual score by an Asian Batter.
Wiaan Mulder (367*)
This was the most recent one, as Wiaan Mulder scored this against Zimbabwe in 2025. He played with a striker of 109.88 and got the score of 367* in 334 runs. His innings included forty-nine fours and four sixes. He had a chance to break Brian Lara’s record, but this is what he had to say
“Brian Lara is a legend. He got 401 or whatever against England. For someone of that stature to keep the record is pretty special. think if I get the chance again I would do the same again.
Garry Sobers (365*)
The knock of 365* was scored by the West Indies’ Garry Sobers when he was just 21 years old. This inning of Garry Sobers came against Pakistan in 1958. Garry Sober, this score broke the 20-year record of Leonard Hutton. There were 38 fours in his innings, and his batting showed his flair and elegance.
Leonard Hutton (364)
England’s Leonard Hutton’s score came against Australia in the fifth match of the series. Leonard Hutton’s 364 helped England score 903/7 in the first inning, which still today is the highest team total for England in test cricket. His innings included thirty-five fours. This match was at the Oval, and England eventually won it by innings and 579 runs.
Sanath Jayasuriya (340)
In response to India’s 537 runs, SriLanka scored 952 runs as the match ended in a draw. Sanath Jayasuriya scored a knock of 540 runs, which included thirty-six fours and two sixes. There was another record set in the match that has not been broken to date. Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama had a 576-run partnership for the second wicket.
Hanif Mohammad (337)
This innings of Hanif Mohammad came when Pakistan were given a follow-on by the West Indies in the first test of the Pakistan tour of the West Indies in 1958. They were trailing by 473 runs, and he scored these runs under pressure and has to be regarded as one of the best test innings. Basically, scored twenty-four fours in his innings of 337.
Wally Hammond (336*)
Certainly, Wally Hammond was the first English batter to score a triple century in test cricket. He scored these runs in the first innings of the second test match when England toured New Zealand in 1933. This innings of 336 included thirty-four fours and ten big sixes, and his strike rate was over 100. Basically, the match ended in a draw.
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