Scoring runs in Test cricket is one of the hardest things for any cricketer. It is not everyone’s cup of tea to score big runs consistently for their nation in the longest format of the game. The red ball game tests the skills of a batter, but there are some players who have excelled in Test cricket.
Most of the successful players in Test cricket had a strike rate of between 50 to 70, but some of the players have achieved success in Test cricket while batting at a strike rate of more than 100 in some big innings. In this listicle today, we will look at the four batters who registered consecutive centuries in 100 or fewer balls in Test cricket history.
1. Jonny Bairstow has been on fire in the ICC World Test Championship series against New Zealand
Jonny Bairstow is the latest name to feature on the list. The right-handed batter smashed a 77-ball hundred in the second Test against New Zealand and followed it up with a 95-ball century in the ongoing Test at Headingley.
2. Brendon McCullum
Former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was in the form of his life in 2014/15. He scored a 100 off 74 balls against Sri Lanka in a home Test in 2014, while before that, he scored a 78-ball 100 against Pakistan at Sharjah.
3. Tamim Iqbal
Tamim Iqbal is the only player on this list to have both centuries away from home. Playing against England in 2010, he scored a 100-ball 100 in Manchester and a 94-ball century at the Lord’s cricket ground.
4. Shahid Afridi was the first player to score back-to-back Test centuries in 100 balls or less
Back to back Test tons at SR 100 or better:
Shahid Afridi
v IND Lahore 2006
v IND Faisalabad 2006Tamim Iqbal
v ENG Lord's 2010
v ENG Manchester 2010Brendon McCullum
v PAK Sharjah 2014
v SL Christchurch 2014Jonny Bairstow
v NZ Nottingham 2022
v NZ Leeds 2022#ENGvNZ— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) June 24, 2022
Shahid Afridi was the first cricketer to accomplish this unique feat. He scored two quick centuries against India in 2006. The hundred in Lahore came off 78 deliveries, while the century in Faisalabad was scored off 96 balls.
