England's Bazball approach to Test cricket has had its supporters and detractors over the course of the ongoing Ashes series, which has been enthralling to say the least.
Trailing 2-1 in the series, England finally brought out the best of Bazball in the ongoing fourth Test at Manchester. And a hapless Australia bowling attack bore the full brunt of an onslaught that has been coming for quite a while now.
Inspired by Zak Crawley's masterclass of 189, England went on to score 592 runs in less than 108 overs. There were five half-centuries along the way, including a 99 not out from the much-maligned Jonny Bairstow.
It was not just the sheer volume of runs that overwhelmed the Aussie bowlers but it was also the run rate. The scoring rate was over 5.5 runs per over.
Naturally, question arises if this was the fastest 500+ innings in the history of Test cricket.
Do not worry, the TSN has got you covered.
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Was England's 592 against Australia in the Ashes fourth Test the fastest innings ever?
While England's sensational first innings against Australia at Manchester in the Ashes 2023 fourth Test was one of the quickest 500-plus total in Test history, it was not the fastest ever.
There have been two 500+ innings' which were scored at a faster rate than Ben Stokes' men managed at Old Trafford.
Which is the quickest 500+ Test innings of all time?
| Team | Score | Overs | Runrate | Inning | Result | Opposition | Ground | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 657 | 101.0 | 6.50 | First | Won | Pakistan | Rawalpindi | |
| England | 524/4d | 82.4 | 6.33 | Second | Won | Ireland | Lord's | |
| England | 592 | 107.4 | 5.49 | Second | N/A | Australia | Manchester | |
| Sri Lanka | 555/5d | 103.3 | 5.36 | Second | Won | Bangladesh | Colombo | |
| Australia | 550 | 107.2 | 5.12 | First | Draw | South Africa | Adelaide |
The quickest 500+ runs in an innings does belong to Bazball, however.
England managed the feat when they played Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022. In the first innings of the Test, England scored a whopping 657 runs in just 101 overs, at a run rate of 6.5. This is astounding.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, and Harry Brook, all crossed the century mark in the innings. Brook topscored with 153 as England won the match by 74 runs.
MORE: Who are the highest run scorers in international cricket?
The second entry on the list is also England when they scored 524 runs against Ireland at Lords. They scored it in just over 82 overs, at a rate of 6.33 runs per over. In the one-off Test against their neighbours in June 2023, the England batsmen battered the opposition bowlers.
In the second innings of the match, Zak Crawley and Joe Root hit half-centuries. However, the stars of the show were Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope. Duckett scored 182 off 178 deliveries, while Pope hammered a double-century (205 off 208 balls). England won the match by 10 wickets, after chasing a minimal target of 11 runs in the fourth innings.