Test Cricket is one of the most cherished formats of the game. Both batsmen and bowlers aim to pioneer this format of the game. For a batsman, it becomes highly important to acquire the crease for longer periods of time. It becomes necessary to convert the good-looking starts into huge scores of hundreds and even double centuries in a given Test match. Players who continuously score double centuries in Test cricket are greatly recognized for their skills to bat for long hours against the red ball.
Most double centuries in Test Cricket
Former Australian batting maestro, Sir Don Bradman holds the record for scoring most double hundreds in Test Cricket. Bradman, who finished with a mind-boggling Test average of 99.94, registered 12 double centuries in his entire Test career. Following Bradman, former Sri Lanka skipper Kumar Sangakkara holds the second spot with 11 Test double centuries.
Among the current generation of players, Indian skipper Virat Kohli has scored 7 double hundreds in Test cricket which is most for any Test player since 2016. In 2016, Kohli scored his maiden Test double century against West Indies at Antigua. His latest 200 in Tests came against South Africa in Pune, 2019. Kohli scored 254* against the Proteas to also register his highest individual score in Test cricket.
Here’s a list of players who have scored most double centuries in Test Cricket.
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | 100 | 50 | 0 | 200s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DG Bradman (AUS) | 1928-1948 | 52 | 80 | 10 | 6996 | 334 | 99.94 | 29 | 13 | 7 | 12 |
| KC Sangakkara (SL) | 2000-2015 | 134 | 233 | 17 | 12400 | 319 | 57.40 | 38 | 52 | 11 | 11 |
| BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 1990-2006 | 131 | 232 | 6 | 11953 | 400* | 52.88 | 34 | 48 | 17 | 9 |
| WR Hammond (ENG) | 1927-1947 | 85 | 140 | 16 | 7249 | 336* | 58.45 | 22 | 24 | 4 | 7 |
| V Kohli (INDIA) | 2011-2020 | 86 | 145 | 10 | 7240 | 254* | 53.62 | 27 | 22 | 10 | 7 |
| DPMD Jayawardene (SL) | 1997-2014 | 149 | 252 | 15 | 11814 | 374 | 49.84 | 34 | 50 | 15 | 7 |
| MS Atapattu (SL) | 1990-2007 | 90 | 156 | 15 | 5502 | 249 | 39.02 | 16 | 17 | 22 | 6 |
| V Sehwag (ICC/INDIA) | 2001-2013 | 104 | 180 | 6 | 8586 | 319 | 49.34 | 23 | 32 | 16 | 6 |
| Javed Miandad (PAK) | 1976-1993 | 124 | 189 | 21 | 8832 | 280* | 52.57 | 23 | 43 | 6 | 6 |
| Younis Khan (PAK) | 2000-2017 | 118 | 213 | 19 | 10099 | 313 | 52.05 | 34 | 33 | 19 | 6 |
(Stat Courtesy: ESPNCricinfo)
