Players Top-Scoring In A Test Innings Most Times For Their Country

Test cricket in recent times has become a ruthless game. Players and teams are tested in adverse conditions. The ongoing Ashes series and the recently concluded India vs South Africa test series is evident example of the same. Teams these days are more confident of playing well in home conditions. From playing conditions to pitches, all are designed to help the home team win games and maintain their domination in the process.

The stories for England and India are similar to some extent. While their bowlers have looked good in the conditions, their batsmen have let them down time and again in the series. Lack of consistent starts from the openers have played into the hands of the opposition of which they have made the most of.

Virat Kohli, in the Cape Town Test, top-scored for India in the first innings and was the second-highest run-scorer in the second. He ran out of partners in the first innings and in the second failed to save his wicket and stitch a partnership with Rishabh Pant who scored an unbeaten ton.

Meanwhile, in this article, we will take a look at players who have top-scored for their teams in Tests the most number of times.

Players Top-Scoring Most Times In Test Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar- 78

The Little Master has played 200 Test matches and in 78 of them has to-scored for his team. No other player has top-scored for their teams more than Tendulkar. The names that follow in this list were top players from their respective eras. A few names like Ricky Ponting, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis are also missing from this elite list.

Also Read: IND vs SA: Most Test Losses By Indian Captains In South Africa

Brian Lara- 65

Lara ended his test career with 131 Test matches and in 65 of them top-scored for the Windies. The southpaw also remains the highest-run-scorer for the Windies in Test cricket and is the second-highest run-getter in ODIs (10405) after Chris Gayle (10480).

Lara was recently roped in by Sunrisers Hyderabad as a part of the coaching contingent. He will be the batting coach for the upcoming IPL season with Dale Steyn ((bowling coach) Simon Katich (assistant coach), Muttiah Muralitharan (spin bowling coach) and Tom Moody (head coach) as part of the management as well.

Sunil Gavaskar- 60

The former Indian skipper ended as the top-scorer for India during his playing days. He was the first Indian batsman to score 10000 runs in Test cricket. Post-retirement he took to cricket commentary and has seen many of India’s memorable victories and painful losses as well.

He was a part of the commentary team sith Supersport from South Africa giving his expert opinion on the Test series. The Indian team management can do well to take a few of his suggestions ahead of their next Test series at home against Sri Lanka.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul-60

Chanderpaul concludes the list of players top-scoring most times for their country. In 164 Test matches, he scored 11867 runs including 30 centuries and 66 fifties. In 60 matches he ended as the top-scorer for West Indies. Chanderpaul and Lara formed a formidable duo in the middle-order throughout the late 90s and the early 2000s.

Also Read: IND vs SA: India’s Batting Was Problematic And Inconsistent – Boeta Dippenaar