Top 5 fastest centuries in Test cricket history

Test cricket is renowned for requiring patience and resilience to score runs. It is far from the fast-paced nature of the shorter formats. However, there have been instances where batters have defied the norm and launched their innings into audacious assaults. Listed below are five such occurrences where batters have gone onto score tons in Tests at a brisk rate.

5 fastest centuries in Test cricket history

5. Jack Gregory – 67 balls vs South Africa (1921)

On tricky conditions to bat at the Old Wanderers in Johannesburg, Jack Gregory played a special knock in the second Test of the three-match series against South Africa. Arriving at the crease after the dismissal of his namesake, Jack Ryder, he went all out against the Proteas.

Gregory combined with skipper Herbie Collins to register a 200-plus stand for the third wicket. In doing so, he raced to a 67-ball ton. Gregory was the aggressor between the two during their partnership. His innings comprised 19 fours and two sixes.

4. Adam Gilchrist – 57 balls vs England (2006)

Australia had already accumulated a hefty lead by the time Adam Gilchrist came out to bat in the second innings of the third Test at the WACA. Gilchrist’s fifty came off 40 deliveries. After getting to his half-century, he hammered Monty Panesar for three sixes and a four in the remainder of the over before hree fours in four deliveries off Steve Harmison took him into the nineties.

He eventually got to his hundred with a drive to long-on for a couple. Ricky Ponting had had enough after the completion of that over as he declared the innings. Australia went onto emerge victorious by 206 runs.

3. Misbah-ul-Haq – 56 balls vs Australia (2014)

Pakistan were already well ahead of the game when Misbah-ul-Haq got to the middle in their second innings. He tore into the part-time leg-spin of Steve Smith to accelerate his innings by recording three sixes and one four in one of Smith’s overs.

Test cricket’s fastest fifty, a record he holds to this day, was attained on the final ball before Lunch. He took a special liking towards Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle after the interval as the then-skipper brought up his ton shortly afterwards in what was easily the most proactive innings of his career.

2. Viv Richards – 56 balls vs England (1986)

It was the fifth and final game of the series and West Indies were already halfway through with executing a whitewash of England when Viv Richards entered to bat in the second innings. The hosts had set their eyes on an early declaration.

Richards came in to bat after Richie Richardson had been dismissed with West Indies score reading exactly 100. The team scored 146 more from that point before declaring, with 110 of those being scored by the legendary batter. His outstanding ton comprised seven fours and as many sixes.

1. Brendon McCullum – 54 balls vs Australia (2016)

A top-order meltdown in Brendon McCullum’s final Test forced him to walk in earlier than expected. Instead of taking it easy and playing defensively, he went ahead with a full-fledged onslaught against the Australian bowlers.

He had already hit three fours and two sixes on his first nine balls. The dazzling batter’s second fifty came off just 20 balls after his first one took 34. A six followed by three consecutive boundaries in the 36th over of the day ensured McCullum shattered the record for the fastest ton in Tests.