5 Test records that might never be broken
What's the story
Cricket is a sport that has seen its fair share of records, some of which have been broken over time. However, there are certain milestones that seem so extraordinary that they appear unbreakable. These records span different eras of cricket, from the golden age of Test matches to modern-day ODIs and T20 internationals. On this note, we take a look at five Test records that might never be broken.
#1
Muttiah Muralitharan's wicket tally
Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan retired with an incredible 800 Test wickets at 22.72.
His action and endurance were unmatched as he bowled long spells on turning pitches.
Shane Warne (708) and James Anderson (704) are the only other bowlers to touch the 700-wicket mark.
Among active bowlers, Australia's 38-year-old spinner Nathan Lyon is closest to Muralitharan's tally with 567 scalps.
With jam-packed cricket calendars affecting the longevity of modern-day players, we might never see Muralitharan getting dethroned.
#2
Jim Laker's 19 wickets in a match
Way back in 1956, England off-spinner Jim Laker stunned the cricket world by taking 19 wickets against Australia in the Manchester Test.
He claimed 9/37 in his first outing and all 10 wickets (10/53) in the second innings. No other bowler has even taken 18 wickets in a match.
To go past Laker, a bowler has to take all 20 wickets in a game.
Notably, there have been just two other instances of a bowler claiming 10 wickets in a Test innings.
#3
Brian Lara's record score
West Indies legend Brian Lara holds the record for the highest score by any batter in Test cricket, having made an unbeaten 400 against England in 2004.
Though South Africa's Wiaan Mulder came close to breaking this record last year, he decided to walk back for an unbeaten 367 in Lara's honor.
This knock came against Zimbabwe. Notably, the aforementioned 2004 match ended in a draw, as with Lara consumed consuming a massive 582 balls during his stay.
Hence, a batter's desire to pursue this record can also compromise his/her team's chances to win the game.
#4
Donald Bradman's famous average
Sir Donald Bradman's Test match average of 99.94 is one of the most famous numbers in cricket history.
The Australian cricket legend scored with such dominance throughout his career that no one has come close to matching it.
While Bradman made 6,996 runs with this average, no other batter with at least 1,500 Test runs even averages 62.
#5
Most consecutive team wins in Tests
Mostly under Steve Waugh's leadership, Australia won 16 consecutive Tests from October 1999 to February 2001.
A few years later, Australia, under Ricky Ponting's captaincy, equaled their own record with another 16 consecutive Test wins from December 2005 to January 2008.
No other team has even won 12 Tests on the bounce.
To break this record, a team needs to win nearly all its matches in a complete World Test Championship cycle.