Top 10 Current Batsmen With Most Runs In Test Cricket

Top 10 Current Batsmen With Most Runs In Test Cricket; Over the years, scoring runs in Test cricket has always been considered as the greatest hallmark of a player, as there is a saying that a player, who can bat in Test format of the game, can bat against any opposition in the limited-overs format.

Endurance, patience, technique and persistence are few of the important factors to have for a batsman, who play in the Test matches, as the opposition bowling attacks keeps on throwing the ball at those uncomfortable places without any fear of losing runs or balls.

Well, each team goes with the quality fast bowlers and the spinners to get the better of the opposition batsmen with an advantage of placing fielders in whatever position they required, unlike limited-overs format restrictions. Scoring runs by evading all those obstacles alongside pressure on the shoulders to perform certainly deserves credit and praises.

Not only the legends of the game have accumulated runs under those circumstances but also the young cricketers have been doing well to make things fall in place for their respective countries. Meanwhile, we figured out Ten current active cricketers with the most number of runs in Test Cricket. Have a look:

Top 10 Current Batsmen With Most Runs In Test Cricket:

10. Asad Shafiq:

The promising right-handed batsman makes into the Top 10 chart after his splendid show in the recent past for Pakistan. Whenever the team was in tough times, Asad Shafiq, more often than not, came up with brilliant performances to bail them out.

After his decline in the limited-overs format, Shafiq was seen more as a Test prospect owing to his solidity with the bat. He made his Test debut against South Africa and started with the fifties in his first two games straightaway.

Asad Shafiq scored his maiden Test hundred against Bangladesh and since then has been a regular with the side. The selectors gave him a good run since then and he was a consistent member of the side that took on Zimbabwe, South Africa and Sri Lanka at home.

So far, he appeared in 74 Test matches for Pakistan to score 4593 runs in the middle-order. He averages 39.26 with 12 centuries and 27 fifties to his name. His best knock was 137 against Australia.

Read More – Top 10 teams with most centuries in T20I

9. Cheteshwar Pujara:

When the Indian team was in search of player, who can match the class of Rahul Dravid, India found Cheteshwar Pujara scoring runs consistently for Saurashtra with an old-fashioned technique. The selectors tried to give him one chance at the international stage and as they say, the rest is history.

Cheteshwar Pujara got his national call-up in the home series against Australia in 2010. After scoring an unbeaten 72* in second innings of his debut game, he showed his grit and determination to bat in South Africa before being injured.

However, his comeback has been sweeter, as he scored 206* against England and continued to accumulate runs for fun in the Test Cricket arena. He is an invincible batsman in home conditions and became a mainstay for India in overseas, as the time progressed.

Presently, he takes the ninth position in the lineup with 5740 runs to his name. He scored them at an average of 49.48, which include 18 centuries and three double centuries. He also got 24 fifties to his name.

8. Azhar Ali:

The current skipper of the Pakistan Cricket Team finds a place in the chart for his incredible run tally for Pakistan. Azhar Ali is a pure example of grit and determination and got the perfect technique with solid defence to trouble the bowlers across the world.

All the good work in domestic circuit fetched his maiden cap in Test format even before making his debut in the limited-overs format. He played a crucial knock in his very second game where he made a match-winning 51 at Leeds as Pakistan successfully chased down a tricky target of 180, with just 3 wickets in hand.

Though he had a couple of poor seasons under his belt, he came back stronger with runs to his name.

After his comeback into the national side, his averages have been above 50 in the succeeding years. So far, he scored 5919 runs at an average of 42.58 including 3 double centuries and 16 centuries. He also smashed 31 fifties to his name.

7. Angelo Mathews:

Yet another Asian cricketer finds a place in the list with Angelo Mathews making his way. Matthews has gone from strength to strength from batting in lower middle-order under the schooling of Sri-Lankan batting greats Sangakkara and Jayawardene to becoming the lynchpin in batting in the Lankan middle order.

He has had a pretty eventful captaincy career that has made his stocks rise as an all-round cricketer and made him an astute captain. Incredibly talented and intelligent, Mathews is good at adapting to different situations. His cool demeanour fetched him the Sri Lankan Test captaincy in February 2013.

Mathews has certainly led from the front. He is still fighting hard for his country and recently scored his maiden double century against Zimbabwe. In total, he scored 5981 runs with 45.31 average. He got 35 fifties with 10 centuries and one double century.

6. Kane Williamson:

Yeah, one of the best batsmen in the world cricket at the moment takes the sixth position in the chart. The flamboyant batsman from New Zealand is one of the best players produced by New Zealand to the game of cricket. He got the art of scoring runs with class and tackled the best of the bowlers in the world with ease.

Kane Willamson has been New Zealand’s greatest find since the retirement of the legendary batsman Martin Crowe. He is part of the famous quartet of batsman which includes some illustrious names like Kohli, Smith, and Root. He has a pretty good technique to go along with a temperament of performing in every condition all around the world.

If 2014 was a superb year for Williamson, it was 2015 that put him officially into the big league of batsmen. He notched up 1172 runs in Tests at a staggering average of 90. Being a regular player and having leadership skills at his disposal, it was only a matter of time before Williamson was lauded as the best.

In 78 Test matches, he scored 6379 runs at an average of 51.44. He scored two double centuries and 21 centuries to his name alongside 31 fifties.

5. Ross Taylor:

Ross Taylor has been the batting mainstay of the New Zealand middle order for over a decade now. He has amassed over 7000 runs in both the ODI and Test formats of the sport. He has played all the roles from a pinch-hitter to a sheet anchor for his team with aplomb and continues to do so in all formats of the game.

The understated approach with which he goes about his game and the runs that he has accumulated over the years is a testament to his longevity and dedication towards his art. He is less talked about when we talk about the great batsmen of the game but he is thoroughly deserving.

Despite having an unorthodox technique, Taylor’s quick hands and steely determination meant that he could adapt to situations and any attack. So far, he played 99 Test matches for New Zealand scoring 7175 runs at an average of 45.7. It includes 3 double centuries, 19 centuries and 33 fifties.

4. Virat Kohli:

Yeah, don’t be surprised to see his name at fourth rather than on top of the chart. The skipper of the Indian National Cricket Team might have had delightful cricketing years in the past 4-5 years but he wasn’t that consistent enough to take the honours when he was in his initial stages.

Kohli has a seemingly hot head on his shoulders, but he channels all his anger while he is batting. Known to be an aggressive batsman always on the lookout for runs, he has a fairly sound, albeit slightly unconventional technique, which makes him judge the length of the ball earlier than most.

Kohli’s technical shortcomings were exposed when India toured England in 2014. He scored just 134 runs in ten innings but the change in captaincy certainly changed everything for the right-handed batsman. He led from the front and improved his technique to seal the number one Test rank to his name in the ICC Rankings.

So far, he played 84 Test matches for India scoring 7202 runs at an average of 54.98. It includes as many as 7 double centuries 27 centuries and 22 fifties.

3. Steven Smith:

In the past 10 years, we can write Steven Smith story in three different chapters. One is his emergence as a batsman after being picked in the team as the leg-spinner and then the two parts are pre and post sandpaper episode. Steve Smith is hailed as the next Bradman to have come out of Australia.

It was his numbers in Tests that were doing the bulk of the talking. The uncanny technique with which he plays the format coupled with strokes all around the ground made him a dangerous batsman to contend with.

Even as Smith plundered runs at will, there were still a few opinions on him, about his ability to score in seaming/spinning conditions. The 2015 Ashes tour of England saw him score up a couple of tons, including a double century at Lord’s while the 2017 tour of India displayed him at his impeccable best.

His return after the ban from the game is rather impressive, as he scored runs in Ashes Trophy 2019 at his best. It was one series, which completely removed stains on his career and pulled fans back to him. Coming to stats, he scored 7227 runs at an incredible average of 62.84 in 73 Tests. It includes 3 double centuries, 26 centuries and 29 fifties.

2. David Warner:

People might not consider him in the league of fabulous four but David Warner always amazes them with his performances with the bat. He outsmarted quite a few modern-day greats to find a second place in the chart with 7244 runs to his name. He appeared in 84 Test games, in which, he scored two double centuries, 24 centuries and 30 fifties.

David Warner has been a live-wire on the field. He is an explosive left-handed batsman who can change the course of a Test match in a matter of a session. He’s never far from controversy, but what happened on the 2018 tour to South Africa could, unfortunately, be how his career is remembered.

Though his return was not as eventful as Steve Smith had in Test cricket, Warner covered it with a brilliant triple century against Pakistan to show his class. He is a force to reckon for Australia, across the formats.

1. Joe Root:

Well, you won’t be amazed to see his name on the top if you are a follower of Test cricket. The 29-year old, who got an exceptional talent is one of the mainstays of England in the longer version of the game and is currently the skipper of the team.

He is another batsman of the batting quartet coming from a rich cricketing history who has the potential of becoming the greatest ever batsman produced by England. Root has all the strokes in his armoury to be successful all around the world.

He made his debut against India in 2012 when England thrashed Indians in Indian conditions. Joe Root was one of the top performers of England and he continued his class in the Ashes Trophy before being hailed as the modern-day great by the experts.

He tops the chart with 7599 runs in 92 Test matches, which came at an average of 48.40. Root bagged three double centuries alongside 17 centuries and 48 fifties.

(All Stats Updated Till 20th February, 2020)