David Warner gave fans a memorable treat after his rare feat of reaching a century before lunch on Day 1 of the third Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground. However, Warner’s century off 78 balls isn’t even in the top 10 fastest Test tons. And this is a sheer testimony of the fact that the game has undergone a paradigm shift is evident from the fact that a majority of the tons in a list of fastest hundreds has come this side of the millennium.
There were some gems from the previous millennium too, like the one by Sir Vivian Richards, the second fastest Test ton which came off just 56 balls. However, thanks to T20 cricket and the fearless approach to batting, the bar is getting higher and higher. Players like Warner, Virender Sehwag and Brendon McCullum have a lot to do with this.
This would be a good time to look at the fastest Test tons scored since 2000. 6 out of the top 10 and 13 out of the top 20 have been scored since 2000. Let’s see who scored the top 6 of these, as these make it to the top 10 all-time fastest Test tons as well.
#6 Chris Gayle – 70 balls, Perth 2009
It was one of West Indies’ better tours in the new millennium and they had a genuine opportunity to draw the series in the third Test, trailing Australia 0-1. Australia posted 520 and in reply, Gayle played a breathtaking knock of 102, with 9 fours and six sixes. As a result, West Indies managed to score 312, conceding a deficit of 208. Australia chose to bat and were all out for 150 setting West Indies an achievable target of 359 runs.
West Indies did a pretty fine job of it making 323 but eventually lost by just 35 runs. Gayle was equally severe on all bowlers, reaching his half-century in just 34 balls with a six against Clint McKay and then smashing Nathan Hauritz for two more monster sixes. When Gayle was out, West Indies had scored 136 in just 24 overs, Gayle scoring 102 of them!
#5 David Warner – 69 balls, Perth, 2012
It was a bad series for India and Warner rubbed it in further. India were all out batting first for 161. In reply, Warner smashed a 69-ball century, going on to make 180 in just 159 balls, excoriating bowlers like Zaheer Khan, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma and R Vinay Kumar.
Yadav eventually took a five-wicket haul as Australia went from 230 for 1 to 369 all out. They scored their 369 in just 76.2 overs, thanks to Warner’s massive innings. He added 214 with Ed Cowan (74) for the opening wicket after which the next highest was 30. India continued their dismal performance in the second innings scoring only 171 losing by an innings and 37 runs. Warner was Player of the Match too.
#3 Shivnarine Chanderpaul – 69 balls, Georgetown, 2003
Chanderpaul’s valiant knock is respect-worthy from many angles. It came in a losing cause against a bowling attack that had Jason Gillespie, Brett Lee and Andy Bichel when Australia were in their prime. Chanderpaul walked in at 47 for 4 and before long, West Indies were 53 for 5. H, however, steadied the ship as he added 131 for the sixth wicket with Ridley Jacobs, in the process scoring 100 with 15 fours and 2 sixes.
That gave West Indies some respectability as they posted 237. Australia replied with 489. West Indies did better this time and were at one point 295 for 2, with a possible chance of setting Australia a stiff target, thanks to centuries by Brian Lara and Darren Ganga. However, they collapsed from that position and were all out for 398. Australia had to score 147 in the final innings which they did with ease losing just one wicket.
Nevertheless, Chanderpaul showed his prowess with the bat making his usually prosaic and defensive batting look all the more impressive and selfless.
#3 Adam Gilchrist – 57 balls, Perth, 2006
Against arch-rivals, England, playing at one of the fastest pitches, Gilchrist showed why he was one of a kind. Australia and England were neck and neck at the end of the first two innings, Australia scoring 244 where Gilchrist got a duck and England replying with 215. Australia were at their intimidating best in the second innings as they amassed 527.
Gilchrist walked in at 365 for 5 as he smashed a 59-ball 102 adding an unbeaten 170 with Michael Clarke who scored 135*. England were all out for 350 in the final innings and lost by 206 runs. Gilchrist’s century was studded with 12 fours and 4 sixes against what can be said to be a mediocre bowling attack.
#2 Misbah-ul-Haq – 56 balls, Abu Dhabi, 2014
We normally don’t associate Misbah-ul-Haq with devastating batting, however, on this fateful day in Abu Dhabi, the Pakistan skipper equalled the decades-long record held solely by Sir Vivian Richards by smashing a 56-ball century. Misbah’s knock came against Australia as well. His innings came against bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle. What worked in Misbah’s favour was that there was little pressure on him.
In the first innings after Azhar Ali (109) and Younis Khan (213) had already laid the platform Misbah cruised his way to 101 off 168 balls as Pakistan declared on 570 for 6.
Australia were 261 all out and then Misbah in the second innings walked in at 152 for 3 and smashed a 57 ball 101* before declaring at 293 for 3 as Azhar too scored a 100*. Australia, facing a target of 603, were all out for 246 giving Pakistan a 356-run victory, one of the biggest in their cricket history
#1 Brendon McCullum – 54 balls, Christchurch, 2016
McCullum broke Sir Richards’ 30-year old record in a whirlwind knock that sadly still ended up on the losing side. His belligerence and counter-attack gave cricket fans one of the most memorable innings of all time when he flayed a good bowling attack to all parts of the ground, with 21 fours and 6 sixes in his 79-ball 145.
The knock’s significance also lies in the fact that McCullum walked in at 32 for 3. New Zealand were soon 74 for 4 but then there was a 179-run partnership between the Kiwi skipper and Corey Anderson who himself smashed a 66-ball 72.
New Zealand ended up posting 370 in just 65.4 overs i.e. 370 in 2/3rds of the day. Australia’s 505 in response and New Zealand’s below par second innings meant the fourth innings target was just 201 for Australia which they chased down with ease.
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