TOP TEST SCORES BY BATSMEN

Sachin Tendulkar may own the record of the batsman with most runs in test cricket (and in one dayers), Brain Lara, former West Indian artist with bat, will take heart from his highest score by a batsman in an innings which he owned for 9 years before Mathew Hayden broke it.

6 months since Hayden's hurricane against Zimbabweans, at same Venue (Recreation ground in Antigua) and against same opposition (England), Brain Lara snatched back his phenomenal record, scoring the first and only 400 in test match cricket till today.

Drawback : Not that Brain Lara's record can't be broken today, but modern day batters have lost the patience with loads of ODI & T20 cricket played around the world and also the teams have become more result oriented than in Lara's days whose best test match score didn't fetch a win for his team (England earned a draw!).

Capables : Virendra Sehwag of India and Chris Gayle of West Indies who like to play their shots when most batsman like to defend in test cricket. 

Note : Double centuries may won a batsman a test match for his country, but not a place in elite list below, which comprises only 300s.

Note : There have been 10 countries to play test cricket. Highest scores by batsman from West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, England, Pakistan, New Zealand and India feature in list below. Now among remaining teams, highest test match score by a Zimbabwe batsman is by David Houghton = 266 against Sri Lanka at Bulawayo in October 1994 while top test score by a Bangladesh batsman is 200* by Mushfiqur Rahim against Sri Lanka at Galle in March 2013, the only double century from the nation.

Highest Individual scores by a batsman in test matches
Batsman (Country)	Runs	Balls	4s	6s	Versus	Mon/Yr
Brian Lara (West Indies)	400*	582	43	4	England	Apr 2004
Mathew Hayden (Australia)	380	437	38	11	Zimbabwe	Oct 2003
Brian Lara (West Indies)	375	538	45	0	England	Apr 1994
Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)	374	572	43	1	South Africa	Jul 2006
Gary Sobers (West Indies)	365*	---	38	0	Pakistan	Feb 1958
Len Hutton (England)	364	847	35	0	Australia	Aug 1938
Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)	340	578	36	2	India	Aug 1997
Hanif Mohammad (Pakistan)	337	---	24	0	West Indies	Jan 1958
Wally Hammond (England)	336*	---	34	10	New Zealand	Mar 1933
Mark Taylor (Australia)	334*	564	32	1	Pakistan	Oct 1998
Don Bradman (Australia)	334	448	46	0	England	Jul 1930
Chris Gayle (West Indies)	333	437	34	9	Sri Lanka	Nov 2010
Graham Gooch (England)	333	485	43	3	India	Jul 1990
Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan)	329	436	38	9	New Zealand	May 2002
Michael Clarke (Australia)	329*	468	39	1	India	Jan 2012
Adam Sandham (England)	325	640	28	0	West Indies	Apr 1930
Virender Sehwag (India)	319	304	42	5	South Africa	Mar 2008
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)	319	482	32	8	Bangladesh	Feb 2014
Chris Gayle (West Indies)	317	483	37	3	South Africa	Apr 2005
Younus Khan (Pakistan)	313	568	27	4	Sri Lanka	Feb 2009
Bob Simpson (Australia)	311	740	23	1	England	Jul 1964
Hashim Amla (South Africa)	311*	529	35	0	England	Jul 2012
John Edrich (England)	310*	450	52	5	New Zealand	Jul 1965
Virender Sehwag (India)	309	375	39	6	Pakistan	Mar 2004
Bob Cooper (Australia)	307	589	20	1	England	Feb 1966
Don Bradman (Australia)	304	473	43	2	England	Jul 1934
Lawrence Rowe (West Indies)	302	430	36	1	England	Mar 1974
Brendon McCullum (New Zealand)	302	559	32	4	India	Feb 2014
Don Bradman (Australia)	299*	---	23	0	South Africa	Jan 1932
Martin Crowe (New Zealand)	299	523	29	3	Sri Lanka	Jan 1991