Flashback: Only two batters to hit identical hundreds in the same Test

Twin centuries in a Test match is a rare sight in cricket’s purest format. It’s an incredible achievement for a player to smash two centuries in the same game. Over the years, many great cricketers have grabbed this fantastic feat but Duleep Mendis and Misbah-ul-Haq are the only two who managed to score the same runs in both innings.

Former Sri Lanka cricketer Duleep Mendis and former Pakistani captain Misbah-ul-Haq are the only two batters to hit identical hundreds in the same Test match. Mendis achieved the feat against India at the M.Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in the year 1982 while Misbah did it against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014.

Speaking about Mendis, he became the first cricketer to date to score identical runs in both innings of the game. Sri Lanka toured India for a one-off Test and three-match ODI series in September 1982. The visitors batted first in the only Test and posted 346 on the board in the first innings. Duleep, who batted at no. four slammed 105 off just 123 in 179 minutes which included 17 fours and a maximum.

India, in the first innings, hammered 566/6d thanks to centuries from Sunil Gavaskar and Sandeep Patil. The Lankan Lions managed to post 394 in the second innings. Mendis, batting at the same position hit 105 again in 236 minutes and got bowled to Rakesh Shukla.

The match eventually got drawn but Duleep etched his name in the history books. To date, he is the only Sri Lankan batter to smash a Test century in Chennai. Speaking about the other player, Mishabh-ul-Haq, he scored same runs against the Aussies at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi in the year 2014.

Having already won the first Test, Pakistan batted first in the second and the final game. Misbah, who was also the skipper of the side, hit 101 off 168 with ten fours and a six with Pakistan posting a mammoth 570/6d in their first innings. In reply, the Australians got bundled out for just 261.

Misbah then struck a whirlwind century as he smashed an unbeaten 101 off just 57 which included 11 fours and five sixes. Pakistan declared their innings on 293/3. They won the match by a huge margin of 356 runs and the series 2-0. His ton in the second innings is the joint-second fastest in the history of Test cricket. With this, Misbah also became the second player after Mendis to hit identical tons in the same match.