A five-day Test can be a monotonous watch for casual cricket viewers. While die-hard fans still weigh Test cricket higher than other formats, the slow pace can be a factor why casual fans would want to watch an ODI or a T20 over the longest format. As such, several times, batters responded to fans’ requests and handed them Test knocks that would not feel like Test knocks at all. These fast, big-hitting, entertaining innings have made these games memorable. Here are the three fastest double hundred in the history of Test Cricket.
3. Virender Sehwag – 200 off 168 balls
We start this list with India’s most recognised hard-hitting Test cricketer, Virender Sehwag. Sehwag did not know how to play slow; he would go on the pitch and play his natural game. Over the years, in his Test knocks, too, he went on to play at a good strike rate. In the third Test of 2009’s Sri Lanka tour of India, the visitors batted first and posted a competitive total of 393. Virender Sehwag, however, had different plans. In India’s reply, Sehwag went on to score 293 off 254 balls as he reached his double hundred in just 168 balls. India posted a humongous total of 726/9 before declaring their innings. In reply to India’s first-innings lead of 333 runs, Sri Lanka could only manage 309 before being bowled out. The hosts won the game by an innings and 24 runs as Sehwag hit the third-fastest Test double-ton. \
2. Ben Stokes – 200 off 163 balls
On number two, we have England’s best current Test allrounder, Ben Stokes, who completed a quick-fire double hundred in the second Test of 2016’s England tour of South Africa. England were struggling according to their batting standards, losing five wickets for a score of 223. But then, Ben Stokes changed the game as England went on to lose their sixth wicket at the score of 622. Stokes fired 258 off 198 balls as he reached the double hundred in 163 balls, five less than Sehwag’s record, making him the scorer of the second-fastest Test hundred. England scored 629/6 before declaring their innings. South Africa, in reply, rode on Hashim Amla’s brilliance and scored 627/7 before declaring. The game ended in a draw but would be remembered for the run galore that it was and Stokes’s heroics with the bat.
1. Nathan Astle – 200 off 153 balls
The first Test of 2002’s England tour of New Zealand looked like it would remain low-scoring as England could only conjure 228 batting first. New Zealand, in reply, were bundled out for 147. However, the track improved as England posted 468/6 before declaring in the second innings. New Zealand had to chase 550 runs in the second innings to win the Test, a task they were unsuccessful in. However, the valiant efforts of Nathan Astle is what fans remember this game for. He scored 222 off 168 as New Zealand managed to reach 251. Astle reached his two hundred in 153 balls, a record that is still untouched after two decades.