Most balls faced in Test cricket career: Who has faced most balls faced in a Test innings 4th?

Most balls faced in an innings in Test career: Yesteryear batters have played some absolutely gargantuan Test innings.

Pakistan captain Babar Azam sixth Test century has seen him also registering a career-best score. Having surpassed the 150-run mark for the first time in his 39th Test, Azam missed out on scoring a 46th double century by a Pakistani batter.

Resuming from his overnight score of 102*, absolutely nothing came in between Azam and a high level of concentration to bat with such discipline for a large part of the day on a Day 5 pitch in the ongoing second Test match against Australia in Karachi.

A phenomenal innings was brought to an end by Australia spinner Nathan Lyon as Azam inside-edge a delivery to Marnus Labuschagne at short leg. A heroic effort saw Azam scoring 196 (425) with the help of 21 fours and a six to walk back to a standing ovation at the National Stadium.

Leading from the front, Azam made it a point to bat throughout the day irrespective of whether they win or draw this match. A team batting for almost a couple of days to draw (if they manage to survive for a few more overs) a match whilst needing to chase a record 506-run target is nothing less than a victory.

Who has faced most balls faced in the fourth innings of a Test match?

It is worth mentioning that Azam facing 425 deliveries in a fourth innings of a Test match is only the fourth occasion of a batter lasting for 400+ deliveries in the fourth innings. Azam has joined an elite club comprising of former England captain Michael Atherton, former England batter Herbert Sutcliffe and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

The longest 4th innings vigil (425 balls) in the last 26 years of Test cricket. That’s the stuff of legend from Babar Azam. Superb effort. #PakvAus

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) March 16, 2022

Most balls faced in Test cricket career

As far as playing maximum deliveries in a Test innings is concerned, no batter from this century features in the Top Five in this aspect. While the same speaks a lot about modern-day batting known more for shot-making, the latest to face more than 500 deliveries in an innings was India’s Cheteshwar Pujara (525 balls faced vs Australia in Ranchi in 2017).

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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