Highest Test Score by a Batsman: Men's and Women's Records

Brian Lara’s 400 not out for West Indies against England in Antigua in 2004 is the highest individual score in men’s Test cricket. Kiran Baluch’s 242 for Pakistan against West Indies in Karachi in 2004 is the women’s Test record. Those records answer the headline question, but men’s and women’s Tests are separate record categories and an innings score should not be confused with a match aggregate. For the wider format rules, see what a Test match is; for the series-level mark, compare the most runs in a Test series. For career context, compare most centuries in cricket history and India’s most Test runs.

What is the highest individual score in men’s Test cricket?

Brian Lara’s 400 not out remains the highest men’s Test innings in the verified record lists used for this article.

Rank	Batter	Score	Team and opponent	Venue and year
1	Brian Lara	400*	West Indies v England	Antigua, 2004
2	Matthew Hayden	380	Australia v Zimbabwe	Perth, 2003
3	Brian Lara	375	West Indies v England	Antigua, 1994
4	Mahela Jayawardena	374	Sri Lanka v South Africa	Colombo, 2006
5	Wiaan Mulder	367*	South Africa v Zimbabwe	Bulawayo, 2025

The asterisk means the batter was not out when the innings ended. The ICC’s 2025 account of Mulder’s 367 not out identifies it as the fifth-highest men’s Test score and lists the four larger scores above it.

How did Brian Lara reclaim the Test batting record?

Lara first set the record with 375 against England in 1994, lost it to Hayden’s 380 in 2003, and reclaimed it with 400 not out in 2004.

The sequence matters because it shows that “highest score” is a single-innings record, not a career total. Lara’s two record innings came in the same Antigua rivalry, a decade apart, while Hayden’s 380 briefly moved the mark higher between them.

What is the highest individual score in women’s Test cricket?

Kiran Baluch’s 242 for Pakistan is the highest individual score in women’s Test cricket.

Rank	Batter	Score	Team and opponent	Year
1	Kiran Baluch	242	Pakistan v West Indies	2004
2	Mithali Raj	214	India v England	2002
3	Ellyse Perry	213*	Australia v England	2017
4	Karen Rolton	209*	Australia v England	2001
5	Tammy Beaumont	208	England v Australia	2023

Baluch’s 242 came in Karachi on 16 March 2004. Guinness records that she added 22 in the second innings, giving her a 264-run match aggregate. The 242 remains the innings record; the 264 is a different type of record.

What is the difference between an innings record and a match record?

An innings record counts one completed batting innings, while a match record adds a player’s scores from both innings of the Test.

That distinction prevents a common mistake in record articles. A batter can lead a match-aggregate list without leading the single-innings list, because a steady first and second innings can total more than one huge score. This page uses the single-innings definition implied by “highest score by a batsman.”

How are the records verified?

The records are verified by matching official Test scorecards and established record databases, then keeping men’s and women’s Tests separate.

The scope is deliberately narrow:

• only official Test matches are included;
• the score is runs in one innings, not a career or match aggregate;
• a not-out score keeps its asterisk;
• first-class, List A, ODI, T20 and franchise scores are excluded;
• a historical scorecard correction would trigger a review.

This is one entry in SportsMuntra’s broader cricket records guide, which separates format-specific lists instead of combining incompatible statistics.

Why are 400-run Test innings so rare?

Four-hundred-run innings require an unusually long batting opportunity, sustained concentration and a team willing to keep batting rather than declare.

Test conditions also change during a match. A captain may declare to create time to take 20 wickets, while weather, pitch deterioration and the opponent’s bowling attack can close the window before a batter reaches a record. That is why the record list is short even though Test cricket has been played for more than a century.

Frequently asked questions

Who has the highest score in Test cricket?

Brian Lara has the men’s record at 400 not out. Kiran Baluch has the women’s record at 242.

Has anyone scored more than 400 in a Test innings?

No verified official men’s or women’s Test innings has exceeded Lara’s 400 not out in the record lists used here.

Who scored 380 in Test cricket?

Matthew Hayden scored 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in Perth in 2003.

What is the highest women’s Test score?

Kiran Baluch’s 242 for Pakistan is the women’s record.

Is an innings record the same as a match record?

No. A match aggregate adds both innings; an innings record counts only one.

Do first-class scores count?

No. This list is limited to official men’s and women’s Test matches.

Bottom line

Lara’s 400 not out is still the men’s benchmark, while Baluch’s 242 is the women’s benchmark. The cleanest way to compare new performances is to state the format, gender category, opponent, venue, date and whether the score was an innings total or a match aggregate. SportsMuntra will review this page annually and sooner if an official scorecard or ICC record update changes the table.