What is the most expensive over in Test cricket?

Test cricket is rarely remembered for its scoring rate. Over five days, batsmen are expected to dig their heels in and spend time at the crease, with quick runs mostly reserved for white-ball games.

But every once in a while, a batsman decides to go gung-ho in Test cricket and attack the bowlers. That’s precisely what Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill did against Mitchell Starc, carting him for 20 runs in an over.

It was Shubman Gill who started the assault, dispatching Starc for a six and consecutive fours. After the opener took a single following the left-arm pacer's no-ball, Pujara got in the act too, as he slashed the Australian for another boundary.

Shubman Gill looks like a man on a mission 👀#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/cuUuglZfiu

— ICC (@ICC) January 19, 2021

Although India scored 20 runs in the over, it was some way off the record in Test cricket.

28 runs were scored in the most expensive over in Test cricket

Brian Lara holds the record for the most expensive over in Test cricket

Brian Lara holds the record for scoring the most runs in an over in Test cricket. The West Indian great achieved the feat in Johannesburg in 2003-04 against South Africa. The southpaw scored 4,6,6,4,4,4 off left-arm spinner Robin John Peterson to score 28 runs in his over.

The magic figure of 28 was achieved twice later as well. Australia’s George Bailey smashed James Anderson for 4,6,2,4,6,6 at Perth in 2013-14. England’s Joe Root went for 28 runs against South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 2019-20. However, Keshav Maharaj scored 24 off the bat in that over, with the last ball going for 4 byes.

Most runs India scored in an over in Test cricket

Hardik Pandya scored 26 runs in an over against Sri Lanka

Many would have thought that India’s 20-run over in Brisbane is their most expensive in Test cricket. But that's not the case. Hardik Pandya scored 26 runs in an over, with the all-rounder managing the feat against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2017. Pandya scored 4,4,6,6,6,0 off Malinda Pushpakumara to score India’s most expensive over in Test cricket.

20 runs conceded by Mitchell Starc in that 46th over - his most expensive over of Test career. #AUSvIND

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) January 19, 2021