BazBall Who? India Record Highest Run Rate In A Test Innings To Script History In Trinidad

India set a new world record for the highest run-rate in a Test innings. The visitors scored their total of 181 runs in 24 overs, implying a scarcely believable run rat of 7.54 in red-ball cricket.

Joshua Da Silva (L), of West Indies, watches as Ishan Kishan (R), of India, hits 6 during the fourth day of the second Test cricket match between India and West Indies at Queen's Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on July 23, 2023

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While the second Test match between India and West Indies seemed to be headed towards a draw at the Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain in Trinidad, the visitors took leaps towards a victory on Day 4 of the match even as rain washed out much of the second session. While the Indian bowlers first took the remaining five wickets from the West Indies first innings to bowl them out for 255, India then had a fiery show with the bat before declaring their second innings at 181/2.

With this, India set a new world record for the highest run-rate in a Test innings. The visitors scored their total of 181 runs in 24 overs, implying a scarcely believable run rat of 7.54 in the game's purest format. This bettered the previous such record which belonged to Australia who had scored 241/2 (declared) against Pakistan at a run rate of 7.53 in 2017. Other than India and Australia, England are the only side to have achieved a run-rate of over seven in a Test innings.

bazball who?? #INDvWI #Bazball pic.twitter.com/fNhz7hTWqJ

— Harsha Achanta (@TheHarsha1) July 23, 2023

India captain Rohit Sharma made his intentions pretty clear when he came out to open the innings. The right-handed batter scored the fastest half-century of his career, bringing up his fifty off 35 deliveries before eventually being dismissed for 57 from 44 balls. Ishan Kishan was promoted up the order and even outpaced Rohit which helped the team break the world record for the highest net run rate. Kishan brought up his fifty off 33 balls. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill weren't particularly slow either and scored 38 off 30 and 29* off 37 respectively.



Despite there being so much hype about "Bazball" England's aggressive style of cricket under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes, it is India under Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma that has made this fascinating record their own.