Once touted as a rookie team, India has become a formidable side in Test cricket. And batters are responsible for India’s rise on the world stage.
India has a tradition of producing world-class batters generation after generation. These prolific batters have displayed their talent by batting for longer durations and scoring mighty knocks.
Over the years, we have witnessed Indian batters showcasing their batting masterclass, registering some of the highest individual scores in the longer format.
Here, we’ll look at the top 10 highest individual scores smashed for India in Test cricket.
Highest Individual Scores for India in Tests
| Player | Score (Balls) | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virender Sehwag | 319 (304) | South Africa | Chennai | 26 Mar 2008 |
| Virender Sehwag | 309 (375) | Pakistan | Multan | 28 Mar 2004 |
| Karun Nair | 303* (381) | England | Chennai | 16 Dec 2016 |
| Virender Sehwag | 293 (254) | Sri Lanka | Brabourne | 2 Dec 2009 |
| VVS Laxman | 281 (452) | Australia | Eden Gardens | 11 Mar 2001 |
| Rahul Dravid | 270 (495) | Pakistan | Rawalpindi | 13 Apr 2004 |
| Virat Kohli | 254* (336) | South Africa | Pune | 10 Oct 2019 |
| Virender Sehwag | 254 (247) | Pakistan | Lahore | 13 Jan 2006 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 248* (379) | Bangladesh | Dhaka | 10 Dec 2004 |
| Virat Kohli | 243 (287) | Sri Lanka | Delhi | 2 Dec 2017 |
Key Stats
319: Virender Sehwag holds the record for smashing the highest individual score for India in Test cricket. The former opener scored 319 runs off 304 balls against South Africa in the 2008 Chennai Test.
278: The number of balls taken by Sehwag to reach his triple hundred versus South Africa. This is the fastest triple century scored by a batter in the longer format.
250: Sehwag brought up four 250-plus scores in Test cricket, which is the second-most after Don Bradman’s five. He also has the joint-most 290-plus scores, going past the mark three times.
2: Karun Nair became the second Indian batter to score a triple century in Test cricket. He achieved the feat against England in 2016, scoring an unbeaten 303 in 381 balls.
5: Virat Kohli, Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rahul Dravid are the four batters with five or more double hundreds each for India in this format.
254: Virat Kohli’s score against South Africa in the 2019 Pune Test. This is the highest individual score by a captain for India in red-ball cricket. Kohli has also smashed the most double tons as captain, with seven to his name.
187: Runs scored by Shikhar Dhawan on his Test debut against Australia in 2013. This is the highest individual score by an Indian batter on Test cricket debut.
