Brian Lara, the West Indies legend, holds the record for highest Test score by a batsman (400 runs not out) against England in Antigua 2004. Lara’s marathon innings is still the highest score ever by a player in men’s Test history. He played 582 balls and scored 43 fours and four sixes.
Many records of highest individual scores in Test cricket saw various owners until finally Lara ‘s 400* became the record which no one could break since it was set in a time when there were still many batting greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting playing cricket. He was the holder of that record until Matthew Hayden made 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2003, after he had scored a thing like 375 against England in 1994.
Top 10 Highest Test Scores by a Batsman
| Rank | Batsman | Score | Team | Opponent | Venue | Year |
| 1 | Brian Lara | 400* | West Indies | England | St John’s | 2004 |
| 2 | Matthew Hayden | 380 | Australia | Zimbabwe | Perth | 2003 |
| 3 | Brian Lara | 375 | West Indies | England | St John’s | 1994 |
| 4 | Mahela Jayawardene | 374 | Sri Lanka | South Africa | Colombo | 2006 |
| 5 | Wiaan Mulder | 367* | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Bulawayo | 2025 |
| 6 | Garry Sobers | 365* | West Indies | Pakistan | Kingston | 1958 |
| 7 | Len Hutton | 364 | England | Australia | The Oval | 1938 |
| 8 | Sanath Jayasuriya | 340 | Sri Lanka | India | Colombo | 1997 |
| 9 | Hanif Mohammad | 337 | Pakistan | West Indies | Bridgetown | 1958 |
| 10 | Wally Hammond | 336* | England | New Zealand | Auckland | 1933 |
Wiaan Mulder’s monumental unbeaten 367 in 2025 got him to the No. 5 slot and became the highest individual Test score for South Africa, too.
Brian Lara’s 400* Record
Brian Lara – 400* The highest Test score by a batsman is 400*, achieved by Brian Lara. Batting for 682 balls, Lara hit 43 fours and four sixes against England in the fourth Test at St John’s.
What made Lara’s innings remarkable is that he already owned the record, with 375 in 1994. Lara reclaimed the record in 2004 after Hayden had held it with 380. He was the first batsman to make 400 in Test cricket and was left out when West Indies declared.
His innings was a mixture of patience and attacking stroke play. Aspects such as reaching 400 in Test Cricket demand focus over a long period and this is what makes Lara’s score one of the greatest Test cricket records.
Highest Test Score by an Indian Batsman
The top Test score by an Indian batsman is 319 by Virender Sehwag against Pakistan in Multan, 2006. India’s first Test triple century scorer Sehwag.
Sehwag’s innings were known for their aggression. He pummelled the Pakistani bowling throughout and was finally one of the select few to register 300 runs in a Test innings.
Highest Test Score by an Australian Batsman
One of the most iconic power-hitting spectacles in Test history is Australia’s entry on the Highest Test Score by a Batsman rankings.
Most runs in a Test Match for Australia: Matthew Hayden 380 vs Zimbabwe at Perth in 2003. He surpassed Lara’s then world record of 375 and soon became the highest ever Test score by a batsman. In 2004, Lara got the record back.
Highest Test Score by an English Batsman
The England record is 364, set by Len Hutton against Australia at The Oval in 1938. Hutton’s score is the seventh highest individual innings ever made in Test cricket, and one of most significant batting feats of the pre-war years.
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Highest Test Score by a Sri Lankan Batsman
The previous highest was 374 by Sri Lanka great Mahela Jayawardene against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. His innings is the fourth highest of all time.
Another famous Sri Lanka entry in the record books is Sanath Jayasuriya’s 340 against India in 1997.
Highest Test Score by a Pakistani Batsman
In 1958 at Bridgetown, Hanif Mohammad set a Pakistan record with 337 against West Indies. It is one of the defining performances in Pakistan’s early Test history, his marathon innings.
South African Batsman’s Highest Score in Test Series
It also included an unbeaten 367 by Wiaan Mulder against Zimbabwe inBulawayo in 2025, which is a South African Record. He scored his runs from 334 balls, including 49 fours and four sixes.
According to the ICC, the knock was the fifth highest individual score in men’s Tests.
Batting most runs scored in record for one wicket
Sidenote: Lara’s 400* remains the highest Test score by a batsman in one innings. The beauty of test cricket is that batters are not confined to a limited number of balls as in shorter formats, you can make big scores.
So, Lara is not just plenty of technique, fitness and concentration but also a better understanding of how cricket should be played. That 400* continues to be the perfect representation of a batsman’s ability when given too much time at the crease.
Highest Test Score vs ODI and T20I Score
Readers looking for the Highest Test Score by a Batsman can refer to this record Batting with shorter formats.
Rohit Sharma is also the record holder for men’s ODI 264 versus Sri Lanka from 2014.
Whereas ODIs are restricted to 50 overs, and T20Is a mere 20 – test cricket offers the batsman considerably more time to build an innings. Which is one reason the highest Test scores are a lot more elevated than most limited-overs records.
Highest Test Score vs ODI and T20I Score
Example of Individual Score : Runs made by a batsman (Individual) + Example Team Score : Contributions from each batter + Extras. Hence, score of 400* by a player does not mean the team total is also exactly 400.
It is important to understand this difference while talking about the Test record high score of a batsman, as individual batting records are in competition with team totals and hence should be taken separately.
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FAQs: Highest Test Score by a Batsman
Who has the highest Test score by a batsman?
Brian Lara holds the record with 400* for West Indies against England in 2004.
Who scored 400 runs in Test cricket?
Brian Lara scored the first and still-record 400* in men’s Test cricket.
Who has the highest individual score in Test history?
Brian Lara’s unbeaten 400 is the highest individual score in men’s Test cricket.
What is the highest Test score by an Indian batsman?
Virender Sehwag’s 319 against Pakistan in Multan is India’s highest individual Test score.
Who scored 380 in Test cricket?
Matthew Hayden scored 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in Perth in 2003.
Has anyone scored 400+ in Test cricket?
No men’s Test batsman has surpassed Lara’s 400*. It remains the world record.
Conclusion
The highest Test score made a batsman is still Brian Lara’s 400*An innings of 582 balls blended endurance, technique and attacking cricket to set up a record that remained intact for over two decades. Though Hayden, Jayawardene and Mulder have all eclipsed ridiculous scores, Lara’s 400 not out still stands as the pinnacle of Test batting.
