Jos Buttler, AB De Villiers & more - 5 slowest innings in Test Cricket in the 4th innings
Cricket is a funny game. A batsman who scores 100 from 50-odd balls can also take 200 balls to score just 20-odd runs.
Jos Buttler led a brave vigil against Australia in the day-night Adelaide Test, albeit in vain. The win was out of the equation as England were 4-down for 80-odd. But for a couple of hours, when Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes went strong for England, they harbored hopes of a draw.
With Woakes' dismissal, the chances of a draw dipped further. But Jos Buttler was a man on a mission. It took an unfortunate hit-wicket dismissal for Buttler to head back to the Pavilion. England did not have any cards left, and Australia won comfortably. They now lead the Ashes 2-0. It was cricket of the highest quality on Day 5 of the Adelaide Test.
Cricket's slowest knocks often come in match-saving situations
Buttler’s knock was one of the slowest innings ever played in the 4th innings of a test match. He joins an elite list of players who made Test Cricket fun to watch, even if all they were doing was blocking the ball.
In this article, we look at the five slowest innings played in the 4th innings of a test.
#5 AB de Villiers – 33 (220) vs Australia – Adelaide 2012
South Africa set Australia a target of 430 in five sessions (148 overs). Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle started excellently for Australia, and before long South Africa were down to 45-4 in 21 overs. AB De Villiers was joined by debutant Faf du Plessis as a loss loomed large. AB and Faf started stonewalling and blocking everything thrown at them for 68 overs.
AB batted for 220 balls, scoring just 33. In all the previous instances AB had faced 220+ balls in Tests, he had at least 150 runs to show for it. But he curbed all his instincts to help save the match for South Africa.
Although he was dismissed with two sessions remaining, it set the tone for the rest of the innings as Faf and Kallis kept blunting the Aussie attack. South Africa eventually managed to draw the match, making it one of the most fascinating clashes of the 21st century.
#4 AB de Villiers – 43 (297) vs South Africa – Delhi - 2015
This was a very similar situation as South Africa were set a target of 481 runs to win by Australia in a little more than five sessions. South Africa did not attempt to win and embarked on a blockathon right from the onset. Hashim Amla (more on his innings in a bit), AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis together faced 106 overs as they attempted to secure a draw and salvage the series.
AB was a mainstay as he batted for 354 minutes and 297 balls, scoring 43 runs and staying on the pitch for 97 overs. Although South Africa lost the Test, this was one of cricket’s greatest blockathons ever. South Africa faced a total of 143.1 overs and scored just 143.
#3 Jos Buttler – 26 (207) vs Australia – Adelaide – 2021
Jos Buttler made a knock of 60 from 100 balls in the recently concluded T20 World Cup. But when the time called for it, he played a fantastic self-denying innings, hoping to push England to settle for a draw.
England was set a target of 468 runs in five sessions by Australia—a target that has never been successfully chased in Test cricket history. By the end of Day 4, England was down to 82-4. Jos Buttler walked into bat with the score at 86-5 in 45.3 overs. He then remained unmoved for 65 overs.
Batting for close to 4.5 hours and 207 balls, Buttler scored just 26 runs, blunting everything thrown at him. His marathon effort was thwarted by an unfortunate hit-wicket dismissal (The 163rd hit-wicket dismissal in Test cricket history), but not before he had played the 2nd longest innings of his Test career.
England ultimately lost the match, but not before putting up a fantastic fight – courtesy of Jos Buttler’s brilliance.
#2 Jack Russel – 29* (274) vs South Africa – Johannesburg – 1995
England were set a target of 479 runs to be scored in a little more than five sessions by South Africa. Although this cricket match is better known for Mike Atherton’s magnum opus (185*), Jack Russel’s pugnacious knock deserves equal credit.
Jack Russel batted for close to 6 hours and faced 235 balls for his 29 runs. The cricket seemed boring at times, but was extremely effective given the situation. He gave company to Atherton for over 70 overs, helping England seal a dramatic draw and keep the series alive at 0-0 going into the third test match.
There is something about English wicketkeepers blocking it out in the 4th innings to save a test match. They definitely know how to make cricket a fascinating watch.
1st – Hashim Amla – 25 (244) vs India – Delhi – 2015
Hashim Amla was the South African captain, and the famous blockathon of Delhi was his brainchild. Amla walked into bat in the 4th over and was glued to the pitch for the next 81 overs, facing 244 balls for his 25 runs. His 5-hour vigil gave South Africa the belief they needed to draw the match.
Amla, along with Elgar, AB, and Faf, blocked everything thrown at him. It was cricket of the highest quality. They almost succeeded in their task as well, thanks to Amla leading the way. They survived with their style of attritional cricket for 143 overs, but it turned out to be too big of an ask, as South Africa finally succumbed to a loss.
It was one of cricket's greatest rearguard actions in history, albeit in a losing cause.