List of players with the highest individual Test score from the top 10 teams ft. Wiaan Mulder

Test cricket's rich history spans almost 150 years, with the first-ever red-ball international game played in 1877 when Australia took on England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Popularly called cricket's purest format, Test cricket gradually saw teams other than Australia and England enter the sport from the mid-1900s.

With multiple teams came many great batters, who brought in their unique style and flavor to the five-day format. Despite white-ball cricket growing in popularity by the year, Test numbers are the first go-to for fans and experts when judging a batter.

A match-winning performance or a big score in Tests away from home is considered sacred for a batter, leading the greats to outdo each other for bragging rights.

On that note, let us look at the highest individual Test scores from each of the top 10 ranked teams (order as per the latest ICC rankings).

List of players with the highest individual Test score from the top 10 teams

#1 Australia - Matthew Hayden

Former opener Matthew Hayden holds the highest score by an Australian batter in Tests with his 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003. The southpaw broke the then-world record held by Brian Lara (375) with his breathtaking knock at Perth.

Hayden's 380 came off 437 deliveries, including 38 boundaries and 11 maximums, helping Australia post a massive 735/6 declared in their first innings. They eventually won the game by an innings and 175 runs.

Hayden is one of Australia's all-time greats, with 8,625 runs at an average of 50.73, including 30 centuries, in 103 Tests.

#2 South Africa - Wiaan Mulder

27-year-old Wiaan Mulder made South African history in the ongoing second Test against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. Batting at No. 3, the right-hander scored 367* off 334 deliveries with 49 boundaries and four maximums.

Mulder surpassed former South African right-hander Hashim Amla, who held the highest score by a Proteas batter with 311*. Despite having a golden opportunity to break the record of 400, Mulder, captaining the side, declared the South African innings at 626/5.

#3 England - Len Hutton

Former England right-hander Len Hutton still holds the record for the highest score in an Ashes Test with 364. It is also the highest score by an England batter in a single Test innings, coming in the fifth Test of the 1938 series.

Hutton's 364 helped England post a then-record 903/7 declare in the first innings, leading to a massive England win by an innings and 579 runs. The Yorkshireman remains one of England's greatest Test batters, finishing his career with 6,971 runs at an average of almost 57 in 79 games.

#4 India - Virender Sehwag

Former opener Virender Sehwag was the first from India to score a Test triple-century in 2004. However, he set the all-time Indian record four years later against a potent South African attack in Chennai in 2008.

The destructive right-hander scored 319 off 304 deliveries in response to the Proteas' first-innings total of 540. Sehwag's onslaught helped India amass 627, capturing an 87-run lead.

The Delhi-born batter transformed Test batting in the 2000s with his ability to dent the opposition from the get-go. Sehwag finished with 8,586 runs at an average of 49.34, including 23 centuries, in 104 Tests.

#5 New Zealand - Brendon McCullum

Former captain Brendon McCullum remains New Zealand's only triple-centurion in Tests. Leading the side in a home series against India, McCullum scored arguably the most valuable triple century in Test history.

The Black Caps conceded a first innings lead of 346 runs and were reeling at 52/3 in their second innings when McCullum walked out to the middle. After an early let-off, the Kiwi skipper punished the Indian bowlers to score a 559-ball 302 to save the day. New Zealand eventually drew the contest and won the two-Test series 1-0.

#6 Sri Lanka - Mahela Jayawardene

Another former captain, Mahela Jayawardene, holds the fourth-highest score in Test history and the highest by a Sri Lankan batter. The elegant right-hander took a well-oiled South African attack to the cleaners, scoring 374 off 572 balls in the series opener at home in 2006.

Jayawardene was involved in a record Test partnership of 624 with Kumar Sangakkara as Sri Lanka amassed 756/5 declared in their first innings. They won the game by an innings and 153 runs to take a 1-0 series lead.

#7 Pakistan - Hanif Mohammad

Serial record-breaker Hanif Mohammad holds the record for the highest score by a Pakistani batter in Tests. The right-hander held the highest first-class score with 499 until Brian Lara broke the record with his 501 in 1994.

Hanif's Pakistan high of 337 came in the first Test of the 1958 series against the West Indies. His triple century came with Pakistan following on after conceding a first-innings lead of 473 runs.

Hanif's 337 helped Pakistan amass 657/8 declared in their second innings, helping them earn a draw from a dire situation.

#8 West Indies - Brian Lara

Former West Indian batter Brian Lara is the all-time leader for the highest score in a single Test innings with 400* against England at Antigua in 2004. The left-hander broke Sir Garfield Sobers' record score of 365 with his 375 in 1994 before Hayden's 380 earned top billing.

Yet, less than a year after Hayden broke his record, Lara returned the favor by becoming the only batter ever to score a quadruple century. His 400* helped West Indies reach a mammoth 751/5 declared in their first innings, thereby confirming a draw and avoiding a home series whitewash.

Lara also holds the record for the highest first-class score with 501 for Warwickshire in 1994. The champion left-hander finished his stellar career with 11,953 Test runs at an average of 52.88, including 34 centuries, in 131 matches.

#9 Bangladesh - Mushfiqur Rahim

Bangladesh's all-time leading run-scorer in Tests, Mushfiqur Rahim, also holds the single-innings record for the highest score by a batter from the country. The 38-year-old scored a sublime 219* in the second Test of the home series against Zimbabwe in 2018.

Rahim's brilliance helped the Tigers post a formidable first-innings total of 522/7 declared and eventually win the game by 218 runs.

#10 Ireland - Kevin O'Brien

Ireland remains the only Test side ranked in the top ten without an individual double century, with all-rounder Kevin O'Brien's 118 being their highest score. The 41-year-old took it to a strong Pakistan attack in a one-off Test in Dublin in 2018.

Forced to follow on, O'Brien walked in with his side in disarray at 95/4 before his heroics took them to a competitive 339. It set Pakistan a challenge of chasing 160 in the final innings, which they eventually did with five wickets remaining.