Top 10 Batsmen with highest strike rate in an innings with minimum 50 balls faced in Tests

Test cricket is about patience and perseverance. It tests the character and ability of the batsman and not everyone stands up to the challenge and succeeds. Generally, batsmen opt to be conservative and not take any undue risk. They aim to build their innings brick by brick and score big. However, there are batsmen who don’t follow such norms. All they believe is in scoring runs at quick pace and shift the advantage and the momentum towards their teams. Here are the batsmen with highest strike rate in an innings with minimum 50 balls faced in Tests. 10. Kapil Dev – 137.73: Kapil Dev batting for India. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) Kapil Dev was India’s best ever fast bowling all-rounder. Kapil’s strength was his bowling but he would also contribute valuable runs batting at the lower order. One such occasion came during the 2nd Test at Karachi in 1982 when Kapil, who came out to bat at No.7, smashed the Pakistan bowling attack comprising of the likes of Imran Khan and Sarfraz Khan to hit 73 runs off just 53 balls at a strike rate of 137.73. Do you know who are the best right-arm pacers in the game? – Top 10 Best right-arm pacers in cricket history 9. Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 138.88: Shivnarine Chanderpaul. (© Getty Images) The batsman with the most unorthodox batting stance is at No.9. Chanderpaul is generally not very aggressive and likes to build his innings brick by brick. However, on 10 April 2003 at Georgetown against Australia, the left-hander smashed a century off just 72 balls with a strike rate of 138.88. This was probably the most aggressive avatar we have seen him in. 8. Mohammad Azharuddin – 141.55: Mohammad Azharuddin batting for India. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) Mohammad Azharuddin is yet another batsman who was known for his stylish batting than the aggressive approach. During the 2nd Test versus South Africa at Kolkata in 1996, the skipper blasted the South African pace attack led by Allan Donald to hit a century off just 74 balls. The right-hander could not carry on to make it a big one though and was dismissed for 109 off 77 balls, striking at the rate of 141.55. 7. Chris Gayle – 141.66: Chris Gayle. (Photo by EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images) The modern day master blaster is 7th in the list. Gayle needs no introduction and has become a synonym for towering sixes and blazing boundaries in recent times. On 17th December 2009, during the 3rd Test versus Australia, Gayle scored the sixth fastest century in Test match history. He reached the century in just 70 balls. However, his stay at the crease after completing the century was short as he was dismissed quickly and ended up with 102 runs in just 72 balls with a strike rate of 141.66. His knock included 9 fours and 6 sixes. 6. Sanath Jayasuriya – 158.92: Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya. (Photo by DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images) Sanath Jayasuriya revolutionized the way opener bat across all formats. His attitude and style of batting remained same in any condition at any venue against any opposition. The left-hander was in his usual brutal mood and mauled the hapless Bangladesh bowling attack to crack 89 off just 56 deliveries with the help of 11 fours and 4 sixes. He batted at a strike rate of 158.92. 5. Kapil Dev – 161.81 Kapil Dev batting. (Photo by David Munden/Popperfoto/Getty Images) Kapil Dev once again makes it into the list. This time, the opposition was England and the venue was the ‘Mecca of cricket’ Lord’s. In 1982, Kapil, in the second innings of the Test hit 89 from only 55 balls at a strike rate of 161.81. According to a story, Kapil was on a verge of hitting the fastest century on that day but missed on the record. Test centuries was not recorded in terms of deliveries as well as minutes previously, and it was considered Roy Fredericks’ ton off 71 balls at Perth in 1975-76 was the fastest until research discovered that Jack Gregory’s at Johannesburg in 1921-22 came from 67 balls. 4. Adam Gilchrist – 172.88: Australia’s Adam Gilchrist. (Photo by PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images) Adam Gilchrist was one of the most destructive batsmen of his time. And, his superb 102* from 59 balls at a strike rate of 172.88 is just one example of it. This knock came against England at Perth in 2006. Adam Gilchrist opened the innings and reached his first fifty runs in 40 deliveries. It took him only 17 deliveries to get the other fifty, reaching his century off just 57 balls. This inning was the second fastest at that time. 3. Misbah-ul-Haq – 177.19 Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq. (Photo by MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/Getty Images) Misbah-ul-Haq has always been stereotyped as a very slow batsman by critics. However, he shunned everyone after he plundered the Australian bowlers at Abu Dhabi to hit a 56-ball hundred and equaled the record of the fastest century in Tests. The Pakistan skipper remained unbeaten on 101 from 57 deliveries. His memorable knock comprised of 11 fours and 5 sixes, scoring at an amazing strike rate of 177.19. 2. Brendon McCullum – 183.54: Brendon McCullum. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Brendon McCullum celebrated his farewell Test in style after he hit the fastest century ever in this format of the game. “Baz’ came out to bat with a guard of honor from the Australian team and soon got into his natural groove, smashing the fast bowlers over their head for sixes and fours. Within no time McCullum reached his century which came off just 54 balls. He finished at 145 off 79 balls at a strike rate of 183.54 with the help of 4 sixes and 21 fours. 1. Vivian Richards – 189.65: West Indies batsman Viv Richards. (Bob Thomas/Getty Images) There was confusion over the fastest century record in Tests. However, all the confusion was laid to rest after Sir Vivian Richards dazzled at the St. John’s with a 56-ball century against England. Richards batted at a strike rate of 189.65 and hit 7 fours and 7 sixes in all directions of the ground. This was the year of the infamous “blackwash” when England, captained by David Gower, were beaten 5-0 by the West Indies. The record remained unbroken until Brendon McCullum bettered it by two balls in his farewell Test in 2016. Do you know the batsmen with the record for fastest Test centuries? – Top 10 Fastest centuries in Test cricket (All stats updated till 21st February 2016)

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Top 10 Batsmen with highest strike rate in an innings with minimum 50 balls faced in Tests

3. Misbah-ul-Haq – 177.19

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