Although Test cricket is often seen as a slow and strategic game, it has witnessed some quick knocks that defy this stereotype. We have seen some really quick knocks in the longest format as well.
Back in 2016, Brendon McCullum scored the fastest hundred in Test cricket. He achieved this milestone off just 54 balls against Australia.
When it comes to the fastest fifty in Test cricket, the record is held by Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan. He scored a blistering fifty off just 21 balls against Australia in 2014.
In this article we take a look at the top 10 fastest fifties in Test cricket and the players who defied the conventional pace of the red-ball game.
Fastest fifties in Test cricket list
| Balls | Player | Match | Location | Year |
| 21 | Misbah-ul-Haq | Pakistan v Australia | Abu Dhabi | 2014 |
| 23 | Davind Warner | Australia v Pakistan | Sydney | 2017 |
| 24 | Jacques Kallis | South Africa v Zimbabwe | Cape Town | 2005 |
| 25 | Shane Shillingford | West Indies v New Zealand | Kingston | 2014 |
| 26 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan v India | Bangalore | 2005 |
| 26 | Mohammad Ashraful | Bangladesh v India | Mirpur | 2007 |
| 26 | Dale Steyn | South Africa v West Indies | Port Elizabeth | 2014 |
| 27 | Yousuf Youhana | Pakistan v South Africa | Cape Town | 2003 |
| 28 | EAV Williams | West Indies v England | Bridgetown | 1948 |
| 28 | Ian Botham | England v India | Delhi | 1981 |
| 28 | Chris Gayle | West Indies v New Zealand | Port of Spain | 2014 |
| 28 | Colin de Grandhomme | New Zealand v Sri Lanka | Christchurch | 2018 |
| 28 | Rishabh Pant | India v Sri Lanka | Bengaluru | 2022 |
Misbah ul Haq
The record for the fastest 50 in Test cricket is held by Misbah ul Haq, who achieved the feat in 21 balls against Australia in Abu Dhabi in 2014. Misbah eventually finished on 101 off 168 balls. Pakistan batted first and scored 570/6 declared, with Younis Khan scoring 213. Australia replied with 261, as Imran Khan picked up 3 wickets. In their second innings, Pakistan declared at 293/3, setting Australia a target of 603. Australia collapsed for 246, with Zulfiqar Babar taking 5 wickets.
David Warner
The record for the second fastest fifty in Test cricket is held by former Australian player David Warner. Warner achieved the feat in 23 balls against Pakistan in Sydney in 2017. Australia batted first and scored 538/8 declared, with David Warner scoring 113 and Matt Renshaw 184. In reply, Pakistan managed 315, with Younis Khan top-scoring with an unbeaten 175 and Josh Hazlewood taking 4 wickets. Australia declared their second innings at 241/2, setting Pakistan a target of 465. Pakistan were bowled out for 244, losing the match by a big margin.
Jacques Kallis
Third on the list is one of the finest all-rounders of all time, Jacques Kallis. The fastest fifty in Test cricket scored by Kallis came off 24 balls against Zimbabwe in 2005. He remained unbeaten on 54 and also picked up five wickets to earn the Player of the Match award and help South Africa won by an innings and 21 runs. Kallis is the third-highest run-scorer in Test history. He amassed 13,289 runs in his Test career, claimed 292 wickets, and secured 200 catches.
Shane Shillingford
West Indies’ Shane Shillingford occupies the fourth spot on the list with a 25-ball 50 that he scored against New Zealand in Kingston in 2014. He eventually remained unbeaten on 53 off 29 laced with three fours and five maximums. A right arm off break bowler, Shillingford played 16 Tests for the West Indies, picking up 70 wickets. With the bat, he scored 266 runs, including one fifty.
Shahid Afridi
Fifth on the list is Shahid Afridi, who scored a half century off 26 balls against India in Bangalore in 2005. Pakistan batted first and scored 570, with centuries from Younis Khan (267) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (184). India replied with 449, with Virender Sehwag scoring 201. In their second innings, Pakistan declared at 261/2, setting India a target of 383. India were bowled out for 214, with Afridi picking up 3 wickets.
Mohammad Ashraful
Following Afridi on the list is Bangladesh’s Mohammad Ashraful, who scored a half century off 26 balls against India in Mirpur in 2007. He eventually finished on 67 off 41 with the help of 12 boundaries and two sixes. India won that match by an innings and 239 runs.
Between 2007 and 2009, Ashraful led Bangladesh in 13 Tests and 38 ODIs, achieving eight wins. He holds the records for scoring the fastest fifty in Test cricket for Bangladesh and the fastest ODI fifty by any Bangladeshi cricketer.
Dale Steyn
Seventh on the list is South African speedgun Dale Steyn, who also scored a fifty off just 26 balls in against the West Indies in Port Elizabeth in 2014. In the first innings, Steyn remained unbeaten on 58 off 28 at a strike rate of 207.14 to take South Africa to a total of 418 declared. The match was eventually drawn. Regarded as the greatest fast bowler of the modern era, Steyn is South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on August 31, 2021.
Yousuf Youhana
In the second Test between Pakistan and South Africa in Cape Town in 2003, Mohammed Yousuf was dismissed for a golden duck in Pakistan’s first innings, but score a quickfire century in the second innings. He scored a half century off 27 balls and was dismissed two balls later. Pakistan, however, lost that match comprehensively. Yousuf played 90 Tests for Pakistan, averaging an impressive 52.29. He scored 24 centuries and 33 fifties.
Foffie Williams
Foffie Williams was a West Indian cricketer who played in four Tests in 1939 and 1948. In a 1948 Test between West Indies and England in Bridge Town, Williams scored 50 off 28 balls before going on to score 72 runs. He hit his first six balls to the boundary: 6, 6, 4, 4, 4, 4. The match was drawn.
Ian Botham
The last entry on this list of fastest 50 in Test cricket is Ian Botham, who scored 50 off 28 balls in 1981 against India in Delhi. He finished on 66 off 48 at a strike rate of 137.50. The match was drawn. Regarded by many as one of the greatest allrounders to have played cricket, Botham 102 Tests and 116 ODIs.
Conclusion
These knocks are proof that the traditional format can still produce high-octane cricketing moments.
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FAQs
Who has scored the fastest fifty in Test cricket?
Misbah-ul-Haq of Pakistan holds the record for the fastest fifty in Test cricket. He achieved this milestone off just 21 balls against Australia in 2014.
Who has scored the fastest century in Test cricket?
The fastest century in Test cricket was scored by Brendon McCullum of New Zealand. He reached his century off just 54 balls against Australia in 2016.
Who has scored the most centuries in Test cricket?
Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most centuries in Test cricket. He has 51 centuries to his name, achieved over a career spanning from 1989 to 2013.
