Leading a national squad is one of the most difficult tasks in Test cricket. The captain of the team is expected to not only make key decisions on the field but also to lead from the front with their own individual performances.
There have been some excellent players who have struggled as captains because, simply put, captaincy is not for everyone. However, there have been a few players who have excelled in their careers after being given the captaincy.
Brian Lara – 400*
Brian Lara, the batsman with the greatest individual score in a single Test inning, set the mark while leading the West Indies squad as captain. In April 2004, Lara made an incredible 400-run innings against England at St. John’s. This remains the only quadruple century in international cricket history to this day.
Mahela Jayawardene – 374
Mahela Jayawardene, the veteran Sri Lankan batsman, still maintains the record for the greatest Test score by an Asian captain. In 2006, against South Africa in Colombo, he produced superb innings and, of course, his career-best knock of 374 runs. To get to 374, Jayawardene needed 572 balls. He hit 43 fours and a six in his innings.
Mark Taylor – 334*
Mark Taylor, an Australian left-handed batsman, holds the record for the greatest Test score by an Australian captain. He set this milestone in 1998 when starting the innings against Pakistan in Peshawar. On his route to his triple hundred, Justin Langer and Mark Waugh helped him a lot. When Taylor declared the innings, he was undefeated on 334 runs.
Graham Gooch – 333
Graham Gooch, the immensely brilliant former England captain, was another batsman who set a world record against India. It happened during the Indian team’s three-match Test series against England in 1990. Gooch smashed a triple century to lead England to a tremendous total of 653 runs in the first Test match. In his innings, the right-handed batter hammered 43 fours and three sixes.
Michael Clarke – 329*
Michael Clarke was regarded as one of Australian cricket’s most prolific batsmen. He was one of the most qualified, dependable, and focused players in the game. During Australia’s golden years, the middle-order batsman rose to prominence. As a result, the competition was fierce, and he had to put in persistent effort to earn a spot in the star-studded Australian team, which he achieved. Clarke hit 39 fours and one six in his 468-ball innings. Australia eventually won the Test by an innings and 68 runs.
