Test cricket has always celebrated patience and discipline, but some innings stand out for their extreme level of defence. India has produced several such ultra-slow knocks, where batsman spent hours at the crease scoring very few runs but playing a crucial role for the team.
Based on updated ball-by-ball records and historical data, here is the list of the top 10 slowest Test innings by Indian batsman, focusing on a combination of balls faced and very low scoring rate.
Slowest Test Innings by Indian Batsman
1. Cheteshwar Pujara – 202 off 525 balls vs Australia, Ranchi 2017
Cheteshwar Pujara marathon 525-ball innings is the longest ever by an Indian in Test cricket. Although he scored a double hundred, the scoring rate was extremely slow, reflecting a match-saving effort.
2. ML Jaisimha – 99 off 505 balls vs Pakistan, Kanpur 1960–61
Jaisimha’s 505-ball knock remains one of the slowest long innings by an Indian. Just one run short of a century, he showed incredible patience in a match that demanded time at the crease.
3. Cheteshwar Pujara – 50 off 196 balls vs Australia, Brisbane 2021
This became the slowest Test fifty for India by balls faced. Pujara absorbed enormous pressure as India chased history in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
4. Sanjay Bangar – 40 off 171 balls vs England, Headingley 2002
Bangar played one of the slowest 150+ ball Indian innings, anchoring the match to help set up a famous away victory.
5. Cheteshwar Pujara – 50 off 179 balls vs Sri Lanka, Kolkata 2017
This innings included a remarkable 53-ball duck before he finally opened his account. A very slow fifty built with immense resistance.
6. Yashpal Sharma – 13 off 157 balls vs Australia, Adelaide 1981
Often cited among the slowest Indian Test knocks ever, this 157-ball struggle produced only 13 runs, showing how tough the conditions were.
7. Rajesh Chauhan – 9 off 132 balls vs Sri Lanka, Ahmedabad 1994
One of the slowest innings globally in terms of runs per ball. Chauhan played 132 balls for just 9 runs, one of India most defensive efforts.
8. B Sai Sudharsan – 14 off 139 balls vs South Africa, Guwahati 2025
Sai Sudharsan ultra-slow 14 from 139 deliveries sits among the slowest modern-era Indian innings. His strike rate hovered near 10, making it a rare blockathon in current Test cricket.
9. Rahul Dravid – 12 off 96 balls vs England, The Oval 2007
Known as “The Wall,” Dravid produced one of his slowest innings here. He fought through testing conditions with a strike rate near 12.
10. Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi – 5 off 84 balls vs England, Mumbai 1972–73
A combination rarely seen — only 5 runs from 84 balls. The Nawab showed remarkable concentration despite hardly scoring.
Such innings may look slow on the scoreboard, but they often shape matches. Whether the situation demands survival, wearing down bowlers, or stabilising the innings after collapse, defensive knocks remain a part of Test cricket’s beauty.
From Pujara’s iron-wall technique to Sudharsan’s modern blockathon, these innings reflect the discipline and fighting spirit Indian batsman have shown across different eras.
