Over full of runs: Most runs scored in a single over of Test cricket
Not often do we get to see players aiming for plenty of runs in a single over in Test cricket since the risks involved are higher. However, some of the classiest players were successful in making most of an over. Brian Lara is a perfect example of it as the legendary batsman hit a total of 28 runs off Robin Petersen in the 2003-04 tour of South Africa. Lara struck 4, 6, 6, 4, 4 and 4 in the six balls of an over during the Test match in Johannesburg.
George Bailey also scored exactly 28 runs during the 2013 Ashes Test at the WACA on the bowling of James Anderson. Bailey struck three sixes and a four when Australia were aiming for a declaration. 28 runs came in an over during the Test match between South Africa and England earlier this year. While England were on course of a win, Keshav Maharaj hit three successive fours and back to back sixes off the England skipper Joe Root to get 24 runs from only five balls.
The last ball of the over missed everyone and went for four byes as the home team yielded 28 runs and equalled the world record. Shahid Afridi is second on the list with 27 runs he scored off Harbhajan Singh during a home Test in 2006. Afridi began the over with four successive sixes but got only three runs on the final two balls. AB de Villiers had a similar instance where he struck four consecutive sixes off Andrew McDonald in 2009 before taking a single.
The final ball fetched a wicket for McDonald as Albie Morkel played the wrong line and ended up getting bowled. Hardik Pandya did come close to breaking Lara’s record during his debut Test series in Sri Lanka in 2017. Hardik struck two fours and three successive sixes in the first five balls of an over he faced from Malinda Pushpakumara.
Confused between retaining the strike and hitting another biggie, Pandya missed out scoring even a run on the last ball of the over. Nevertheless, it was the most number of runs scored by any player for India in an over of Test cricket. Ramnaresh Sarwan, during the 2006 home Test series against India, struck six consecutive fours in an over he faced from Munaf Patel. One of those six fours came on a no-ball and the last ball turned out to be a dot-ball.
(Stats as on December 13, 2020)
