Hanif Mohammad – 337 v West Indies (1958):
Hanif Mohammad’s 337 against West Indies at Kensington Oval will most likely stand forever as the greatest Test knock from the willow of a Pakistan batsman. Apart from the volume of runs he scored in that match, it was the circumstances under that makes Hanif Mohammad the first ever batting great of Pakistan. It was the first Test of the 5-match series and Pakistan was rocked by the centuries from Conrad Hunte and Everton Weekes. In the first innings, the hosts posted 579 and later bowled out the visitors for just 106 with fast bowler Roy Gilchrist and Collie Smith snapping 4/32 and 3/23 respectively.
Pakistan followed on 473 behind and now needed to bat out the remaining three days to save the Test which didn’t look like a possibility. However, Hanif Mohammad with just 17 in the first innings, walked in and piled on a record-breaking score to save the Test for his team. His marathon knock spanned 940 minutes in the middle and shared four century stands with Imtiaz Ahmed, Alim-ud-Din, Saeed Ahmed and his brother, Wazir. His penchant for occupying the crease session after session was very well known to most of the Test playing nations but West Indies were introduced to it in a back breaking style.