UPSC Prelims 2004 Q138: Current Affairs – Cricket
- (a) Don Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar and Colin Cowdrey
- (b) Len Hutton, Peter May and Vivian Richards
- (c) Hanif Mohammed, Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara
- (d) Bob Cowper, Bill Lawry and Brian Lara
Answer: (c) Hanif Mohammed, Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara
Explanation
> Note for students: The true record chain before Hayden is Hutton, Sobers, Lara, and no option lists Hutton. Option (c) contains the last two holders, Sobers and Lara, and is the published key. Choose (c) or skip it to avoid a negative mark.
Progress of the Test cricket record for the highest innings
| Record holder | Score |
|---|---|
| Len Hutton | 364 against Australia, 1938 |
| Garfield Sobers | 365 not out against Pakistan, 1958 |
| Brian Lara | 375 against England, 1994 |
| Matthew Hayden | 380 against Zimbabwe, 2003 |
The record chain before Hayden's 380 was Hutton (364), Sobers (365*) and Lara (375). Hanif Mohammad's 337 never stood as the record. No option lists Hutton, Sobers and Lara together, and option (c) is the one that contains the two most recent holders, Sobers and Lara, so it is the nearest choice.
Answer: (c) Hanif Mohammed, Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara (nearest option; the real chain is Hutton, Sobers, Lara).
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Bradman, Gavaskar and Cowdrey never held this record.
- (b) Incorrect. May and Richards never held this record.
- (c) CORRECT. It contains Sobers and Lara, the last two holders, and is the nearest option.
- (d) Incorrect. Cowper and Lawry never held this record.
Key point
Highest Test score: Hutton 364 (1938), Sobers 365* (1958), Lara 375 (1994), Hayden 380 (2003), Lara 400* (2004).
Remember
Sobers and Lara held the Test record immediately before Hayden's 380.
Common mistakes
- Adding Bradman because of his 334 and 304.
- Treating Hanif Mohammad's 337 as a record.
- Counting Lara's 400 not out, which came after Hayden.
Exam tip
Test highest innings chain: Hutton, Sobers, Lara, Hayden, Lara.
Sources
- Cricinfo — Test records
- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack — Test cricket records: highest individual innings