5 matches in which two batsmen scored double centuries in the same innings
The most challenging thing for a cricketer is to change their game according to the format. The type of play that is required in ODIs is very different from what is demanded by Tests. Players need to have a lot of character and temperament when playing Test cricket and need to play the game with highest level of concentration, and there is no margin of error.
The highly respected Test format requires batsmen to vex the bowlers with defensive technique and only go for strokes when bad deliveries come at them. It requires not just skill but the right mindset to score daddy hundreds in the longer format.
Through the course of this article, we look at five matches in which two batsmen scored double centuries in the same innings.
#5 Mahela Jayawardene (240) and Thilan Samaraweera (231)
Mahela Jayawardene is one of the greatest batsmen of all-time. He has always been reliable for Sri Lanka with his consistent performances. Thilan Samaraweera did not enjoy great success in the shorter format. However, in the longer format, he played a key-role in the middle-order and saved the team on numerous occasions.
Sri Lanka toured Pakistan for a 2-Test series. In the first test at Karachi, the visitors won the toss and chose to bat first. Jayawardene and Samaraweera came up big and stitched a 437-run partnership for the 4th wicket. The Pakistani bowlers were left scratching their heads as the two took the attack to the opposition with a beautiful partnership.
Jayawardene scored 240 off 424 balls with 32 fours. Samaraweera scored 231 off 318 balls 31 fours. This was his first double-century in Test cricket. The visitors posted a mammoth total of 644 in the first innings. However, Younis Khan answered back for Pakistan with a triple-century of his own, and Pakistan racked up 765 in their first innings. The match eventually ended in a draw.
Samaraweera then posted another double-century in the very next game at Lahore. However, the match was abandoned after a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team bus.