5 Players with fastest double centuries in Test cricket

It is a joyride for the cricket fan who despite being amid oodles of cricketing entertainment, which is a truth of the current age, isn’t only concerned with the present-day world of cricket and likes a slice or two of nostalgia from the bygone era. The 5 players with fastest double centuries in Test cricket predominantly tells you of a vital truth and if you come to appreciate it, then it’s simply that despite the T20-fuelled dominant batting template that seems to have found its way even in Test cricket batting, not even a handful of batters from the present or current era find themselves mentioned in the list that is all about heroes from the bygone era. There’s a West Indian, there’s a Kiwi and many more. So let us explore this now:

List of Players with the fastest double Centuries in Test Cricket History:

Nathan Astle (153 Balls)

The man whose name features right on top of the list comprising 5 players with fastest double centuries in Test cricket, Nathan Astle, clubbed back in the year 2002 a 153-ball-double century.

He was fiery, unforgiving and really in a world of his own on that occasion where he clubbed English bowlers to different parts of the ground at Christchurch, a surface he was familiar with being from New Zealand. Sadly, despite his heroics, England would go onto dominate the contest winning it by 98 runs.

A dogged right hander and someone who could make the best version of attacking batting come live in a contest, maybe a litle milder version of Sanath Jasuriya albeit given the right hand batting style, Astle should duly be considered as among the most prominent and best of all New Zealand batters.

Though, he wasn’t regarded all that much for being in possession of an incredible technique, he was, nonetheless, a fearless exponent of attacking batting that appealed to modern sensibilities and pleased fans around the world. A clutch player in the late 1990’s and 2000s, if you were to look at Nathan Astle that way!

Ben Stokes (163 Balls)

The batting stalwart in the English camp who also rounds up as a useful medium pace bowler is credited with scoring the second-fastest double century ever registered in a Test match contest. The same knock came off just 163 odd deliveries that Stokes took to reach his double ton. The sheer admiration for this knock came from the fact that it took Stokes’ heroics to happen thousands of miles away from England at Cape Town in South Africa against what was a prominent line up consisting of bowlers like Rabada and Morkel. Ben Stokes hammered a dominant 258 that came off 198 deliveries. He hit 30 fours and even clubbed 11 sixes. Little doubt why the man whose name features among the 5 players with fastest double centuries in Test cricket is so widely regarded.

Virender Sehwag (182 Balls)

One of the famous 5 players with fastest double hundreds in Test match cricket, Virender Sehwag the pure entertainer, the man famously named ‘the Butcher of Najafgarh’ finds himself on this venerable list. But he truly deserves to be in this elite list for the simple reason that Sehwag, the man with endless reserves of grit, hit not one or two but three double centuries in Test match cricket that find a mention on the fastest double tons ever in the format.

He hit a 168-ball-double century against Sri Lanka, which was followed by a 182-ball double ton versus Pakistan that came at Lahore. He was the player-of-the-match on that occasion scoring 254 runs on the whole. And finally the dominant right hander that many feared simply being locked in battle against scored a 194-ball double hundred against South Africa in the year 2008, however, this would be converted into his brilliant 319.

The Test match was held at Chennai in India and is still looked back at with fine memories. In the end, Sehwag stayed at the wicket for 304 deliveries scoring a famous and incredible triple century.

Brendon McCullum (186 Balls)

A real smasher of the cricket ball and someone, who much like Sir Viv Richards simply popped a gum in the mouth, spoke less and without much emotion spanked the best of the bowlers to different parts of the ground: McCullum was and will be a legend. The famed BlackCaps former captain and the inventor of the current dominant culture of “Bazball” was responsible for the world record of being (among) the players with fastest double centuries in Test cricket.

His exciting knock of 202 that came in the desert region of Sharjah, hence against the comfort of playing in the cozy and breezy Kiwi setting emphasised his ability to come good in alien conditions, or in other words, conditions that the New Zealand side weren’t always too familiar with.

McCullum reached his test double landmark off just 186 deliveries and lest it is forgotten, struck 11 sixes.

That’s a crazy and rare number given the lengthy context and tiring manners of the red-ball game.

Chris Gayle (221 Balls)

The Universe Boss Christopher Henry made run scoring underlined by big six hitting a special facet of his batting. He did that to a good effect in both Test and one day international contests. As a matter of fact, the lanky left-hander known for his happy go lucky and uncomplicated approach to cricket struck 98 sixes in Test match cricket.

But it took the man who loves a party life one inning to hit a tenth of his career sixes when during the whirlwind and dizzying triple hundred score of 333, Chris Gayle hit 9 sixes against Sri Lanka. During the course of that inning, Gayle reached his double-century (which he’d further convert into a triple ton) off just 221 deliveries.

That his daddy hundred came away from the comfort of playing in the Caribbean made his knock a source of happiness and gladness for the die-hard Windies fan. The big score came at Galle, in Sri Lanka.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Who has the fastest double century in test cricket?

Kiwi batter and a big smasher of the red ball, Nathan Astle has the world record for scoring the fastest double ton, which came off 153 deliveries

Q2. Who scored the fastest 250 runs in tests?

Ben Stokes of England, their current Test captain, is credited with hitting the format’s fastest 250-run knock scoring it in 196 deliveries

Q3. Which wicketkeeper has the fastest double hundred in tests?

Kiwi batter Brendon McCullum, who claimed 198 Test catches, once hit a double century off just 186 deliveries.