Top 6 impactful unbeaten 90s in Tests and ODIs

#4 Mitchell Johnson: 96* – Johannesburg, 2009

Initially, Johnson was relatively quiet but exploded immediately after Marcus North left

Always a brutal force with the ball, it was the turn of the tailender Mitchell Johnson to fire against South Africa that afternoon. Centurion Marcus North found an able ally in Australia’s number nine, who not only supported him to get to a debut test hundred, but also partnered him in an eighth-wicket stand of 117.

Initially, Johnson was relatively quiet but exploded immediately after North left. Off-spinner Paul Harris was clobbered for 26 in a single over, eighteen of which came from sixes and the rest from fours. Johnson jumped from 84 to 96 with three more boundaries off a Dale Steyn over, but Morne Morkel accounted for two scalps in consecutive deliveries in the following over which bowled Australia out, leaving an unfortunate Johnson stuck at the other end.

As if the hammering was not enough, he returned with the ball and struck four times each in both innings, walking away with an easy Player of the Match verdict and landing his side a win by 162 runs in the first test of the series.