Steve Smith scripted a special record on Day 2 of the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India at the Oval in London. Smith smashed a brilliant century which marked his 7th triple-figure score in England. The New South Wales batter got himself feature in an elite list starring legends of the game.

Here is the list of most Test tons by visiting batters in England:

Gordon Greenidge

Innings: 30
Centuries: 6
Runs: 1570
Average: 56.07

Rahul Dravid

Innings: 23
Centuries: 6
Runs: 1376
Average: 68.80

Steve Waugh

Innings: 32
Centuries: 7
Runs: 1633
Average: 74.22

Steve Smith

Innings: 31
Centuries: 7
Runs: 1848
Average: 61.60

Don Bradman

Innings: 30
Centuries: 11
Runs: 2674
Average: 102.84

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The cricketing experts always say that Test cricket is the toughest format of the game. Even though it is the oldest set-up, still batting in Tests is not easy at all. It evaluates batsman’s character, endurance, stamina, and of course, technique and skills. A batter has to face the difficult task of pace, swing, and spin mixed up with extreme conditions.

Over the vast history of Test cricket, there have been numerous batsmen who have batted with resilience and grit. And it is the biggest reason that red-ball cricket has produced so many legends. To name a few batsmen like Sir Don Bradman, Sir Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting have not only been an inspiration but also a trendsetter in their respective eras.

Even modern-day cricket superstars have pretty well carried the legacy of such great batters. One could say that the benchmark has been set really high by players like AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root.

Although each innings of a Test match poses a different challenge but a real battle is when a batsman shows immense courage and plays better for his team in the fourth innings. In maximum cases, the fourth innings is played on the fifty day of the match, and by that time, the pitch cracks become visible which isn’t a pleasing sight for a batter at all. More often than not, on the last day, a ball spins a lot, so the opposing skipper tends to place fielders around the batsman, which increases the chances of outer edges.

However, there have been few batsmen who despite playing in the fourth innings excelled and outperformed all the obstacles. Let’s have a look at five such outstanding players who have reached the maximum individual score while batting in the fourth innings of a Test match.

5.) Gordon Greenidge (214 against England, 1984)

The cricket pundits believe that they have never seen any batter playing a better square-cut than the great Gordon Greenidge. Some even say that the cricketing world hasn’t seen a more willing and able hooker than the Barbados giant.

In 108 Tests, Greenidge accumulated 7558 runs at an impressive average of 44.72. The Hampshire cricketer smashed 19 phenomenal hundreds and 34 half-centuries. One of his batting brilliance came against England at Lords.

The inspirational right-handed batsman showed his all class during the West Indies tour of England in 1984. In the fourth inning of the second Test at the Mecca of Cricket, the Caribbean opener demolished the English bowlers as he scored an unbeaten 214 off 242 balls with 29 fours and two sixes. It is the fifth-highest score in the fourth innings of a Test match.

4.) Bill Edrich (219 against South Africa, 1939)

A splendid hitter of short-pitched fast bowling, William John Edrich, commonly known as Bill Edrich was an immensely talented batsman from England. In first-class cricket, he had scored 36,965 runs, at an average of 42.39 with 86 centuries, nine of them double-centuries. Edrich also took 479 wickets and 526 catches. His highest score was 267 not out for Middlesex against Northamptonshire at Northampton in 1947.

Speaking about the highest score, then Edrich’s highest international score came against South Africa in 1939 when England was on the tour of South Africa.

Edrich smashed a double century, scoring 219 in the fourth innings of the fifth Test. Overall, he played 39 Tests and amassed 2440 runs at an average of 40 with six centuries and 13 half-tons. He also bagged 41 wickets with 8/172 being his best.

3.) Sunil Gavaskar (221 against England, 1979)

The first man to get 10,000 Test runs and 30 centuries, Sunil Manohar Gavaskar, was India’s spinal column in the 70s and 80s. No wonder, Gavaskar was perhaps the greatest batsman of the cricketing world. The thing which made Gavaskar so special was the quality of his immaculate defence, and at the same time, he had the capability of hooking and pulling the most fearsome bowlers of all-time.

In 125 Test matches, Gavaskar reached a landmark of 10,122 runs with a mind-boggling average of 51.12. He slammed 34 hundreds and 45 fifties in the longest format. In first-class cricket, Gavaskar sits really high with a huge tally of runs he has scored. In 348 games, the right-handed batsman smashed 25,834 runs with 81 centuries and 105 half-tons.

Sunny’s one of the most impressive Test knocks came against England in 1979 when at The Oval he scored a double-hundred. Gavaskar made 221 off 443 deliveries with 21 boundaries in the fourth innings of the 4th Test match.

2.) Nathan Astle (222 against England, 2002)

The attacking batsman from New Zealand, Nathan Astle was known for his fearless attitude. It was the year 2002 when Astle literally ripped up the record books with his 222 against England, at Christchurch. It was the fastest double century in Tests, which came up off only 153 balls. Imagine the brilliance of the knock that it still remains as the fastest double century in red-ball cricket.

England’s Ben Stokes did come close during the game against South Africa in Cape Town in 2016, but even he couldn’t break the record as the English all-rounder ended up scoring his double ton off 163 balls.

Coming back to Astle’s outstanding knock, the Christchurch-born eventually scored 222 off 168 balls with 28 fours and 11 sixes. Astle achieved the feat in the fourth inning of the first Test match. The right-handed batsman overall played 81 Tests and clubbed 4702 runs with 11 hundreds and 24 half-tons.

1.) George Headley (223 against England, 1930)

The first man on the list is George Headley from West Indies. The phenomena of Headley can be understood with the fact that he was called ‘The Black Bradman’. However, his admirers responded to this denomination by calling Bradman’ The White Headley’. Such was the class of Headley.

One can imagine the amazingness of Headley by the fact that he scored 2190 runs in just 22 Tests, including 10 centuries, out of which eight came against England. The right-handed genius finished his Test career at a breathtaking average of 60.83. Headley was the first to score a ton in each innings of a Test at Lord’s in 1939. From a period of 1929 to 1939 the Jamaican cricketer did not have a single bad Test series.

During the home Test series against England in 1929-30, Headley scored 703 runs in four matches. His most special knock also came in the same series. In the fourth game, Headley scored a double hundred in the fourth innings. He smashed 223 off 385 balls with the help of 28 boundaries. Even after so many years, it still remains as the highest individual score in the fourth inning of a Test match.

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Former Pakistan cricketer turned commentator, Ramiz Raja recently recalled the time when his captain Imran Khan taunted about him dropping a catch off his bowling. While fielding, out of the blue, Imran pointed out about the catch-drop of Gordon Greenidge.

Greenidge used to open the batting for the star-studded West Indies team. Raja, the famous cricket analyst and broadcaster, lately engaged in a chat with his Indian counterpart, Sanjay Manjrekar.

“He (Imran) suddenly looked over to the backward square leg region and said, ‘Remember that catch from Gordon Greenidge you dropped off my bowling?” Raja told Manjrekar during the chat.

“But Imran, Greenidge went out for 16 in that match,” Ramiz said, to which Imran replied ‘No, but the partnership was worth 38’,” Raja continued.” He still remembers everything.”

Also, Imran often nagged about Raja’s shortcomings on the field while asking about him not diving on the field. “Yaar Rambo, tum dive kyun nahi maarte ho (why don’t you dive)?” recalled Raja.

Both Raja and Manjrekar reminisced about the golden period when India and Pakistan played hard-fought cricket matches.

India always possessed a champion batting lineup while Pakistan boasted one of the greatest bowling lineups, making Indo-Pak duels riveting.

Pakistan troubled several batting units with the likes of Imran, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, and Abdul Qadir. The Indian team, on the other hand, blessed with genius batsmen, namely Sunil Gavaskar, Kris Srikkanth, Dilip Vengasarkar and many others.

“Our generation was in awe of Indian batting. India-Pakistan contests used to be so friendly off the field. We spoke the same language. We had freedom of culture whenever we played, so we never sledged,” Raja concluded.

However, India-Pakistan contests these days aren’t evenly matched, with India getting the better Pakistan in multilateral events. The two countries do not engage in bilateral series due to diplomatic issues.

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Renowned Hindi broadcaster and commentator, Aakash Chopra, has picked his all-time T20 XI amongst players who were not able to feature in the newest format of the game.

The T20 game came into the reckoning through a domestic tournament in England. The theme slowly picked up all around the globe like wildfire before the very first T20I game was played between Australia and New Zealand in 2006.

However, some of the greats of the bygone era would have loved the lip-smacking action of the T20 game. Therefore, Chopra decided to call out his lineup of all-time XI who were not able to feature in the shortest format of the game.

Mostly the players belong to the golden era of the 80s and the 90s. It’s not a matter of surprise that five West Indians feature in Chopra’s selection of players, starring Gordon Greenidge, Brian Lara, Joel Garner, Sir Viv Richards and Sir Gary Sobers.

The three out of the five West Indians in the lineup were part of the invincible squad which dominated world cricket for a good portion of a couple of decades.

Chopra included the three players out of the famous quartet of all-rounders, namely Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Ian Botham, excluding Richard Hadlee.

Along with Imran, Chopra also added ‘the Sultan of Swing’ Wasim Akram from Pakistan. Barry Richards from South Africa and Andy Flower from Zimbabwe represent the African contingent in the lineup.

Additionally, the side is captained by 1992 World Cup-winning skipper, Imran Khan, while Flower dons the gloves in the side.

Here’s the lineup:

Gordon Greenidge, Barry Richards, Brian Lara, Sir Viv Richards, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan (c), Sir Ian Botham, Sir Gary Sobers, Andy Flower (wk), Wasim Akram, Joel Garner.

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Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann has revealed his list of all-time cricketers and has included batting legend Sachin Tendulkar in the list. “Tendulkar is the best player of my generation. I would prefer bowling to Sachin than Lara but it’s a touch and go,” Swann was quoted saying.

The 37-year-old picked Bradman, Gilchrist, McGrath, Warne, Greenidge, Sobers, Lara, Akram and his fellow countrymen Hobbs and Anderson, who is added as the 12th man, in his dream team.

Well, Swann also picked himself in the team and gave this reason: “Graeme Swann, because it’s my team. I’ve got a left-armer, foot hole. I’m in.�?/p>

List of players in Graeme Swann’s All-time XI:

1. Sir Jack Hobbs (Eng)
2. Gordon Greenidge (WI)
3. Sir Donald Bradman (Aus)
4. Brian Lara (WI)
5. Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)
6. Sir Garfield Sobers (WI)
7. Adam Gilchrist (Aus)
8. Shane Warne (Aus)
9. Graeme Swann (Eng)
10. Glenn McGrath (Aus)
11. Wasim Akram (Pak)
12th man James Anderson (Eng)

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