3 Test Records that may never be broken

It all started with England and Australia playing the first ever test match in 1877 at Melbourne. The game has witnessed tremendous transformations right from its inception about a century and a half back. Throughout its glorious history, Test cricket has produced many world-class players, and many records have been bettered time and again. However, there are a few astonishing numbers that have stood the test of time, and it is quite possible that they will forever remain unchallenged.

The cliché says that ‘records are meant to be broken’, but the following 3 records seem to be exceptions. Apart from these records, there are some like most number of wickets and largest margin of victory by runs have stood for some time now. But they may eventually be broken.

#1 Jim Lakers best match bowling figures (19 wickets)

The English off-spinner made the 1956 Old Trafford Test against Australia completely his own as he finished with remarkable match figures of 19/90.

Laker took 9/37 in the first innings and then completed the first ever ‘perfect ten’ in Tests in the second innings, taking 10/53.

Anil Kumble of India has been the only other man to take all ten in an innings, but Laker’s match haul is unlikely to be repeated. Laker’s feat is also the best ever in all first-class cricket, with only two others managing 18 in a match, way back in 1837 and 1861

#2 Longest Interval between two test appearances

Egyptian born off-spinner John Traicos is one of the very few Test players to play for two countries. He returned to Test cricket by turning out for Zimbabwe in their first ever Test, at Harare against India in 1992-93 at the age of 45.

This was 22 years and 220 days after he last played a Test for South Africa, for whom he played three Tests in 1969-70 just before the Proteas were banned from the game. For Zimbabwe, he played a total of four Tests in all.

This remains the longest gap between two appearances by a Test player. No one in the present game has a chance to break this record.

#3 Highest score in a debut test innings

England’s Reginald Foster scored an incredible 287 runs in his very first Test innings, against Australia at Sydney in 1902-03.

It will take a brave man to say that this record will be broken. After all, it has been standing for 115 years. This was Foster’s only century in his eight test match career. It's sad that he passed away at a young age of 35.

In the past century, only South Africa's Jacques Rudolph has come close to breaking this record. He scored 222 runs in his first test innings against Bangladesh.