With the long and richly textured format of Test cricket, batting at No.4 is perhaps the most coveted position in a team’s order. This position requires technical skill, patience, and the skill to hold together as well as to take the innings along qualities that have yielded some of the greatest innings in cricketing history.
List of Seven Greatest No. 4 Innings Played By A Batsman In Test Cricket
1. Mahela Jayawardene – 374 vs South Africa (2006)
Team: Sri Lanka
Venue: Colombo
Balls Faced: 572
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Result: Sri Lanka won by an innings and 153 runs
Sri Lankan great Mahela Jayawardene produced a virtual-mythical knock at No.4, scoring 374 against South Africa. With Dale Steyn destroying the top order early, Jayawardene came in to join Kumar Sangakkara in a legendary 624-run stand, the highest by any wicket in Test cricket.
Jayawardene occupied the crease over three days, thrashing every bowler in sight and taking Sri Lanka to 756/5 declared. It is one of the most authoritative No.4 innings in Test cricket history.
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2. Inzamam-ul-Haq – 329 vs New Zealand (2002)
Team: Pakistan
Venue: Lahore
Balls Faced: 436
Result: Pakistan won by an innings and 324 runs
Inzamam-ul-Haq produced an absolute savage masterclass, racking up 329 against New Zealand in Lahore. Cramping and sapping heat, Inzamam accelerated brilliantly – took 191 balls to make his first hundred, and only another 100 balls to make 300.
His record-breaking innings paved the way for Pakistan to make 643 runs, creating the stage for a thorough innings victory. It was the second triple century for Pakistan in Tests, demonstrating how much a No.4 can impact a game.
3. Bob Cowper – 307 against England (1966)
Team: Australia
Venue: Melbourne
Balls Faced: 589
Result: Match drawn
The embodiment of patience, Bob Cowper built an epic 307 in more than 12 hours at the wicket against England. Coming in at No.4, Cowper developed a vital 212-run association with Bill Lawry as Australia responded to England’s 485 with 543/8 declared.
Cowper’s obdurate knock was among the slowest triple centuries in Test cricket and one that serves as a yardstick for resilience and determination from a No.4 batsman.
4. Martin Crowe – 299 vs Sri Lanka (1991)
Team: New Zealand
Venue: Wellington (Basin Reserve)
Balls Faced: 523
Result: Match drawn
Martin Crowe was short by just a run of scoring a record-breaking triple century, but his 299 is one of the best No.4 innings in Test cricket. Humiliated in the first innings, Crowe reversed the fortune with a massive 467-run partnership with Andrew Jones the highest in New Zealand’s Test history.
Crowe’s innings propelled the Kiwis to 671/4, saving the Test and cementing his legacy as one of New Zealand’s greatest of all time.
5. Ross Taylor – 290 vs Australia (2015)
Team: New Zealand
Venue: Perth (WACA)
Balls Faced: 374
Result: Match drawn
Batting in the blistering Perth sun and suffering from an eye condition, Ross Taylor produced one of the most destructive No.4 innings that Test cricket has ever seen.
Returning at 87/2 in response to Australia’s declared score of 559/9, Taylor mounted a counter-attack, making 290 runs for his side from a 265-run partnership with Kane Williamson. His innings took New Zealand to 624, and they were still in the game despite the odds.
6. Younis Khan – 313 vs Sri Lanka (2009)
Team: Pakistan
Venue: Karachi
Balls Faced: 568
Result: Match drawn
Younis Khan, one of Pakistan’s legendary batsmen, produced a traditional triple century at No.4 against Sri Lanka. His 313 was a masterpiece in stylish drives and unrelenting focus in the middle over a staggering 12 hours.
Younis’ superhuman innings took Pakistan from a deficit exceeding 300 runs to one of their highest-ever team totals, 765/6 declared, and gives significant credence to Younis’ status amongst the best No.4 batsmen in Test history.
7. Graeme Pollock – 274 vs Australia (1970)
Team: South Africa
Venue: Durban
Balls Faced: 401
Result: South Africa won by innings
South African legend Graeme Pollock was sublime elegance personified in his 274 against Australia. Taking on a potent Aussie bowling attack, Pollock’s innings was aggressive and technically as good as it gets.
His innings contributed to a dominating total and an innings win for South Africa, and set the pace for the kind of destructive capability that a No.4 batter in Test cricket’s premier could produce.
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