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The fourth innings of a Test match often presents the toughest challenge for batsmen. By this stage, the pitch has worn down and cracks can make batting difficult, especially on subcontinent pitches where spin bowlers can dominate.

Amid these challenges, a select group of batsmen have excelled and scored runs in these crucial situations. These batsmen, who have thrived in these tough situations are often regarded as legends of the game.

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The Sporting News takes a look at the top 10 batsmen with the most runs in the fourth innings of Test matches.

Most runs in the 4th innings of a Test match

The great Sachin Tendulkar tops the list with 1,625 runs in the fourth innings. Playing for India, Tendulkar's highest score in this phase is 136, with a batting average of 36.93. He is followed by England's Alastair Cook, who has scored 1,611 runs.

More: List of players with most fifties in Test cricket: Joe Root closing in on Sachin Tendulkar

Tying Cook is South Africa’s Graeme Smith, who has also scored 1,611 runs. Smith’s highest score in this phase is 154*, which is remarkable given the nature of 4h innings. Sunil Gavaskar of India has scored 1,398 runs with an average of 58.25, the highest in the list.

Let's take a look at the full list of batsmen with most runs in the fourth innings.

PlayerInnsRunsHS100s50sAvg
Sachin Tendulkar6016251363736.93
Alastair Cook5316111162935.80
Greame Smith411611154*4953.70
Joe Root*471589142*2841.82
S Chanderpaul491580116*21141.58
Rahul Dravid561552103*1940.84
Younis Khan401465171*5650.52
Ricky Ponting4314621564650.41
Brian Lara451404153*2735.10
Sunil Gavaskar3313982214858.25

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Author(s)
Divy Dubey Photo

Divy Dubey is a content producer for The Sporting News' India edition.