5 longest Test knocks of all time 

As the name suggests, Test cricket is one of the toughest formats of the sporting world. It tests every component of the game; it is a test of patience, endurance, concentration and grit for every player.

Over the years, we’ve heard a lot about how batsmen need to show resilience, character and determination during a Test innings. They need to occupy the crease and bat for long hours, tiring out the bowlers and playing out the good deliveries/spell before cashing in on the loose ones. And some batsmen have batted for hours and hours together, showing great determination and character.

Here, we look at the five longest Test knocks in cricket history.

Criterion used to rank the innings: Minutes batted

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#5 Leonard Hutton vs Australia, The Oval (1938) – 797 minutes

Sir Leonard Hutton was undoubtedly one of the greatest opening batsmen to have ever played Test cricket. But his career got off to an indifferent start; in his first eight innings, the Yorkshire opener had two centuries but failed miserably in the rest of his six innings (with a highest score of 14).

In the fifth Test in the 1938 Ashes, England, who were 1-0 down in the series, won the toss and batted first at the Oval. Hutton, who had played the first two Tests of the series, returned for the final one and opened alongside William Edrich. The latter fell early as he could manage only 12 but Hutton batted on and on and on.

He shared a mammoth 388-run stand with No. 3 Maurice Leyland, who scored 187. Hutton kept batting on as he scored a humongous 364; he was at the crease for more than 13 hours. He played 847 balls during his stay at the crease which is the most in Test history.

This monumental effort from Hutton helped England score 903, which was the highest Test total for almost 60 years (it is now the second highest). England won the game by an innings and 579 runs to square the series.

#4 Sanath Jayasuriya vs India, Colombo (1997) – 799 minutes

Sanath Jayasuriya was the standout batsman in that Test match.

Before this 1997 Test series, Sri Lanka had won just one Test match (and series) against India. However, at the start of the first match of the 1997 Test series in Sri Lanka, India continued their dominance as they racked up 537 with Navjot Singh Sidhu, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammed Azharuddin scoring tons.

India batted for 167.3 overs before declaring the innings. By the end of day two, they were clearly on top as Sri Lanka finished the day at 39/1. But little did they know that the hosts would fight hard and not lose another wicket for the next two days.

Sanath Jayasuriya, who opened the batting, joined hands with Roshan Mahanama and batted endlessly. Mahanama scored 225 and Jayasuriya registered a memorable 340 as he batted for a staggering 799 minutes. He struck 36 fours and 2 sixes in his 578-ball stay at the crease and frustrated the Indian bowlers to no end.

Mahanama and Jayasuriya shared a mammoth 576-run stand for the second wicket. The pair started batting on the third morning and were only dislodged on the fifth day.

Jayasuriya batted on four out of the five days. Sri Lanka racked up the highest ever Test total (952 in 271 overs) before they declared and the game ended in a draw.

#3 Alastair Cook vs Pakistan, Abu Dhabi (2015) – 836 minutes

Alastair Cook's ability to bat big is second to none.

This is the only knock in this list from the 21st century. On what looked like a belter of a pitch at Abu Dhabi, Pakistan batted first and posted 523. Shoiab Malik scored a fantastic 245 while Asad Shafiq made a fine 107 to help Pakistan get over the 500-run mark.

In a surprising move, Pakistan opted to go with just one spinner – Zulfiqar Babar - but it was still an uphill task for England. However, skipper Alastair Cook led from the front as he scored a majestic 263. He led the visitor’s reply beautifully as they scored 598 before declaring the innings.

Cook played exceptionally well as he batted for almost 14 hours in that searing Abu Dhabi heat. He played both spin and pace well, seeing out the good deliveries and punishing the loose ones. His innings of 263, which came in 528 deliveries, consisted of just 18 fours - which shows the grit and patience Cook displayed.

The innings gave England a handy 75-run lead after which the bowlers came out firing, dismissing Pakistan for just 173. While chasing 99, England made 74 in 11 overs before bad light helped Pakistan escape with a draw.

Cook was awarded the man of the match for his exceptional effort.

#2 Gary Kirsten vs England, Durban (1999) – 878 minutes

Gary Kirsten batted really well on a fifth-day pitch.

During England’s tour to South Africa in 1999/2000, South Africa were 1-0 ahead in the 5-match Test series when the action moved to Durban for the Boxing Day Test. England batted first after winning the toss and on the back of skipper Nasser Hussain’s unbeaten 146, they scored 366 in their first innings.

In response, South Africa were bowled out cheaply as Andy Caddick wreaked havoc, picking up 7 wickets to bowl the Proteas out for 156. Following on, Gary Kirsten played one of the best innings by a South African in a Test match.

He batted with great resilience as he scored a superb 275 which helped South Africa earn a draw. He faced 642 deliveries in his innings as he countered the likes of Darren Gough, Andy Caddick and Andrew Flintoff brilliantly. He also played left-arm spinner Phil Tufnell very well; the latter was bowling into the rough and creating a few problems, but Kirsten stood tall.

Kirsten shared very important stands with Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher for the second and fifth wicket respectively. He batted for more than 14 and a half hours to help South Africa salvage a draw.

#1 Hanif Mohammed vs West Indies, Bridgetown (1958) – 970 minutes

Pakistan great Hanif Mohammed

Hanif Mohammed is easily one of the greatest Pakistan batsmen to have played the game. He was Pakistan’s first real superstar with the bat and he was also the first Pakistani to score a Test match half-century.

In the first Test of Pakistan’s tour to the Caribbean in 1958, the visitors had dug a hole for themselves at the end of their first innings. They had conceded 579 runs and had been bowled out for 106 in their first essay.

Following on, Hanif Mohammed, who was the second ever centurion for his nation, played the longest innings in Test cricket history, a record that is intact even today (60 years later). He scored 337 and batted for a jaw-dropping 970 minutes in a bid to help Pakistan save the Test match.

The right-handed opener, who also held the record of the highest first-class score (499) for quite some time, played with great courage and determination as he became the first Pakistani batsman to score a triple ton.

His 16-hour vigil at the crease helped Pakistan eke out a draw and go into the second Test at 0-0, which they eventually lost 3-1.