10 slowest centuries in Test history by minutes played

Whenever anyone hears the word 'slow' innings, they probably believe that it is a euphemism for 'boring' and, while it may be true in some cases when it comes to Test match batting, it is often noticed that in the majority of the innings, it is not. Due to the very nature of the game and the concept of a draw, plenty of batsmen have ended up playing painfully slow innings so that their teams could escape with a draw.

None of those innings seemed boring. However, there are exceptions. So, here is a look at 10 of the slowest innings ever played in Test cricket, measured by minutes spent at the crease and many of those innings had context, which made it necessary for the batsmen to go slow.

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#10 Alastair Cook 294 in 773 minutes against India at Birmingham, 2011

The English opening batsman started his career at a time when the game was swamped with openers like Justing Langer, Herschelle Gibbs, Matthew Hayden and Virender Sehwag, who had redefined the role of an opener.

However, Alastair Cook was a throwback to the days of the classical opener, who believed in crease occupation, measured stroke-making and patient batting over flamboyance.

As a result, it is not really a surprise that he scripted one of the longest innings in Test history when he batted for 773 minutes against India in the 3rd Test of the series back in 2011. He started batting towards the end of the 1st day and ended towards the end of 3rd. Cook faced 545 deliveries and hit 33 boundaries in his innings, as England romped to an innings and 242 runs victory.

#9 Brendon McCullum 302 in 775 minutes against India at Wellington, 2014

Brendon McCullum's unusual innings

Now, the former New Zealand captain is not someone who is particularly known for long innings but back in 2014, Brendon McCullum played an absolutely brilliant innings and saved a Test match that was looking hopeless when he came in to bat in the 2nd innings.

New Zealand had conceded a 246 run 1st innings lead to India and had been reduced to 87 for 4 in the 3rd innings when McCullum came in to bat.

It soon became 94 for 5 but McCullum played an innings of sublime brilliance, patience, and calculated hitting to knock the stuffing out of the Indian bowling attack over the course of 775 minutes.

He came in to bat just before lunch on the 3rd day and continued to bat till day 5. He hit 32 fours and 4 sixes to ensure that New Zealand came out of the game with the honors shared.

#8 Brendon Kuruppu 201 not out in 777 minutes against New Zealand at Colombo, 1987

Brendon Kuruppu during his stint as Sri Lanka's manager

The former Sri Lankan wicketkeeper-batsman may have only played 4 Test matches in his career but Brendon Kuruppu will forever be remembered for his epic unbeaten double hundred against Richard Hadlee's New Zealand back in 1987. More importantly, he opened the innings and played Hadlee's opening spell, which was one of the most difficult ordeals for most batsmen in those days.

Kuruppu batted till the third day and stayed at the crease for as long as 777 minutes to ensure that there was no chance of Sri Lanka losing the Test match. He remained unbeaten as well and at a time, when Sri Lanka had recently become a Test-playing nation, a well-earned draw was definitely something that the team must have cherished.

#7 Brian Lara 400 not out in 778 minutes against England at St. John's, 2004

Brian Lara's record still stands unbeaten

After Matthew Hayden had surpassed his record individual score of 375 a few months earlier, Brian Lara snatched it back at St. John's Antigua when he scored 400 not out against England in one of the longest innings ever.

On a flat pitch, the West Indian legend played a patient innings initially but once he was set, he went after the bowling and, even though he batted till the third day during the course of his 778-minute marathon, he recorded a strike rate of 68.72.

Against a bowling attack of Steve Harmison, Andrew Flintoff, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard, he hit 43 boundaries and 4 sixes to reclaim the record. The match eventually ended in a draw, despite some alarms for England.

#6 Hashim Amla 311 not out in 790 minutes against England at The Oval, 2012

Hashim Amla is one of the best in Test cricket

The South African great Hashim Amla was one of the game's most impressive big hundred players at one point of time, and, in the 1st Test of the series in England at the Oval back in 2012, he showed exactly why.

England batted first and made 385 in their 1st innings, but the visitors' first innings completely blew them away and a large part of that was due to Amla's 790-minute vigil at the crease that saw him score an unbeaten 311.

He came in to bat on the 5th delivery of the 3rd over and remained at the crease till the innings finished in the 189th over. The right-hander faced 529 deliveries and hit 35 boundaries, as South Africa piled up 637 for the loss of only 2 wickets. Their bowlers did the job in the second innings as England crashed to an innings and 12 runs defeat.

#5 Len Hutton 364 not out in 797 minutes against Australia at The Oval, 1938

Hutton's Record Innings

He is one of the greatest opening batsmen to have ever played the game, and, in the 5th Ashes Test at The Oval in 1938, Len Hutton played one of his most famous innings. He stayed at the crease for 797 minutes against the Australians and, consumed as many as 847 deliveries during the course of his marathon 364 not out to set England on course to a massive victory.

His technical excellence, patience, stroke-making abilities and the hunger for runs were all on display as Hutton became the holder of the record for the highest individual record in Test cricket. England declared their innings at an incredible 903 for 7 and the shell-shocked Australians collapsed in both innings to lose by an innings and 579 runs.

#4 Sanath Jayasuriya 340 in 799 minutes against India at Colombo, 1997

Sanath Jayasuriya and Sri Lanka broke records in that Test match

The 1st Test of the series between Sri Lanka and India in 1997, turned out to be a totally pointless run fest but it saw one of history's longest innings from Sri Lankan opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya.

On a pitch with nothing on offer for bowlers, India first piled up 537 but they might not have realized what lay in store for them as Sri Lanka kept batting till the fifth day. Much of that was due to the efforts of their left-handed opener, who batted for 799 minutes and faced 578 deliveries to score 340 runs.

It was an intolerably boring Test match but Sri Lanka smashed records and eventually declared for a world record score of 952.

#3 Alastair Cook 263 in 836 minutes against Pakistan at Abu Dhabi, 2015

Alastair Cook

In the first Test of the tour to the United Arab Emirates in 2015, England found themselves on the backfoot after Pakistan made 523 in their first innings. What England needed, was a typically dogged rearguard from their then captain Alastair Cook and, that is exactly what they got.

Against a potent Pakistani bowling attack, Cook stonewalled for 836 minutes in the desert heat and faced as many as 528 deliveries, to lead his team out of the woods at a place where they had struggled in their previous tour.

He made 263 runs and was the 7th man out in the 191st over, after England had already made 549. They eventually declared for 598 but the primary target of saving the Test was achieved. The match ended in a draw.

#2 Gary Kirsten 275 in 878 minutes against England at Durban, 1999

Gary Kirsten was the first South African to hit a double-hundred

The Boxing Day Test in 1999 at Durban between South Africa and England, turned into a bit of a nightmare for the hosts after they had been shot out for 156 in their response to the visitors' first innings score of 366.

Having conceded a lead of 210, an innings defeat loomed large, after England enforced the follow-on and that is when their opener Gary Kirsten played one of the truly great match-saving innings in modern cricket history.

He eschewed almost all strokes and prioritized crease occupation over anything else, as South Africa started their task of batting for just over two days. Kirsten batted for two whole days and a bit more on the 3rd evening to become the first South African to score a double hundred.

The left-hander hit 26 boundaries and stayed at the crease for 878 minutes to score 275 runs. He faced 642 deliveries alone and by the time he was out in the 210th over, the teams shook hands and the match ended in a draw.

#1 Hanif Mohammad 337 in 970 minutes against West Indies at Bridgetown, 1958

Probably the greatest innings ever

It is perhaps the greatest match-saving innings ever played and, considering the fact that it was a 6-day Test, Pakistan legend Hanif Mohammad's effort in the 1st Test at Bridgetown back in 1958, instantly becomes an innings of epic proportions.

After the West Indies had scored 579 in their first innings, Pakistan was then shot out for 106. They then needed to bat for just over 4 days to save the game, after the follow-on had been enforced.

No one expected Pakistan to come out with a draw from that hopeless position but Mohammad's patience, technical brilliance and the ability to concentrate for 970 minutes or for just over 16 hours, makes it an innings that must rank among the finest in Test cricket.

He hit only 24 boundaries and concentrated on the defensive side of the game for large parts of his innings. The West Indies ended up bowling 319 overs but Pakistan came out of the match unscathed. Mohammad was the 6th man out with the score at 649 but by then the match had been saved.