5 longest individual Test innings since 1990 (in minutes batted)

Test cricket is often referred to as a test of patience and mental strength in addition to the gruelling demands of physical fitness. We have witnessed many batsmen who have stood by the crease session after session and made bowlers sweat it out in the hot sun. Since 1990, there are 60 instances of an innings that lasted more than 600 minutes (10 hours) and 13 of them were above 700-minute mark.Interestingly, all of the top 7 longest innings during the period have either been against England or India and only one in the sub-continent.

#5 Brendon McCullum - 775 minutes

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum denied India a win when he became the first Kiwi cricketer to score a triple century at Wellington, 2014. In the second and final Test of the series, India bowled out the home side for 192 and accumulated 438 in reply as Ajinkya Rahane (118) and Shikhar Dhawan (98) starred with the bat.

By the time the teams went in for Lunch on day 3, India had already dismissed the top 4 of the batting order including the three in the morning session. Soon after the break, McCullum (in at No.5) lost Corey Anderson and was staring at a certain defeat as they were still 152 runs behind.

The skipper then played the captain’s innings to perfection as he built two big partnerships with BJ Watling and James Neesham enroute to the his triple ton. Eventhough there were some views that Indians turned defensive allowing McCullum to bat through, it was undeniably one of the responsible and crucial knock played by a captain. His 559-ball stay ended as he nicked one to Dhoni off Zaheer Khan after reaching the landmark.

As a result of McCullum’s fighting knock, the Kiwis held on to a draw.

#4 Brain Lara - 778 minutes

West Indies had lost all three Tests of the 2004 series by then and their captain Brian Lara was desperate to avoid a whitewash on the final Test at Antigua. The champion left-hander rose to the occasion and went on to create history by reclaiming his world record for the highest individual score in Test matches. Batting at No.3 the prolific batsman scored an unbeaten 400 batting well into the third day after coming in at the 13th over of the opening morning.

The 582-ball innings witnessed 43 fours and 4 sixes as he declared the innings at the conclusion of the same over he rewrote the record. As he batted England out of the Test in the first innings that lasted a little after Lunch on Day 3, there were some claims of selfish batting too.

Despite all that, Engalnd managed to hold on to a draw in their second innings after following on. Andrew Flintoff (102) and Michael Vaughan (140) responded with centuries in the first and second innings to lead their team home.

#3 Hashim Amla - 790 minutes

The South African batting mainstay stunned the world when he completed his triple century in the middle of Ramadan; Amla later revealed that he defered from fasting. In the first Test of the series agaisnt England, the Protean No.3 was at his best in the second innings of the match as the South African batted for 790 minutes and 529 balls. England’s 385 in the first innings was easily surpassed by the visitors as they posted a mammoth 637/2 before declaring with both Amla and Jacques Kallis (182) remaining unbeaten.

Graeme Smith (131) previously added 259 runs with Amla before being dismissed. In all, the right handed batsman scored 35 boundaries in the innings that was simply magnificent. The bearded genius toyed with England bowling effectively to score runs at will. The innings that lasted 790 minutes was also the longest unbeaten knock in Test history, bettering Lara’s 778 minute stay.

His innings gave his team a 252-run lead that England failed to get past, resulting in an innings win for the South Africans. This is also the only instance of a winning contribution in the list.

#2 Sanath Jayasuriya - 799 minutes

The Sri Lankan opener played an innings of a lifetime when he was involved in the then highest partnership for any wicket in Test matches – 576 runs for the second wicket against India at Colombo(SSC), 1997. India declared their first innings at 537/8 with Navjot Sidhu, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Azharuddin scoring tons.

Sri Lanka lost Marvan Atapattu by the close of day 2 with Jayasurya on 12*. The scoreboard read 39/1 when Roshan Mahanama joined the left-hander at the crease and the pair batted two full days to the agony of Indians. 283 and 265 runs were added by the pair on the 3rd and 4th days respectively and Jayasuriya was more active in run making than his partner.

The batsman was eventually dismissed on the final day for 340 (578 balls) soon after Mahanama (225) was sent back, only to the disappointment of the Lankan supporters who expected him to carry on to surpass Brain Lara’s then highest Test score of 375. Sri Lanka made the highest Test score ever, 952.

Spinners Rajesh Chauhan, Anil Kumble and Nilesh Kulkarni bowled a jaw-dropping 220 overs between them as the Sri Lankan innings lasted for 271 overs as Arjuna Ranatunga and Mahela Jayawardene feasted on the tired shoulders later on the final day.

#1 Gary Kirsten - 878 minutes

In the third Test of the 5-match series at Durban 1999/00, the South African opener’s marathon knock saved his country from defeat after England enforced the follow on with a lead of 210 at the close of the third day.

The visitors batted very patiently to declare their first innings at 366/9 with their skipper Nasser Hussain making the third slowest Test century for England in 467 minutes on a slow pitch against the Hansie Cronje side. The home captain turned defensive with Alan Donald’s stomach ailment and England batted as they had all time in the world for complete two days and made an overnight declaration. Andrew Caddick’s twin bursts that saw him snatch his first three wickets in 11 balls and the next three in space of five balls of his 11th over meant South Africa were forced to take guard again.

The left-handed Kirsten was rock solid at the top, but for a lucky escape at 33, offering a catch to the spinner Phil Tufnell only to be called no-ball; safely carried his side home batting through the Test and was the last man to dismissed marking the end of the Test with SA at 572/7 from 209.2 overs. He stitched a 152-run second wicket stand on the penultimate day and England fought back with three wickets in the last session.

England retained slender hopes of a win as the Proteans were only ahead by 41 runs going into 5th day with 6 wickets in hand. But, Kirsten’s determined 642-ball innings coupled with Mark Boucher’s third Test century helped South Africa to safety. Both Caddick and Kirsten were jointly adjudged as the Man-of-the-Match.