Test cricket, being the purest and best format of the game, holds a special place in the hearts of cricket enthusiasts. Any achievement in this format is always significant. Among the many records in Test cricket, the most prestigious are those related to run-scoring and centuries.
Sachin Tendulkar has the most hundreds in Test cricket, as well as centuries. He played from 1989 to 2013 and scored 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches.
Along with scoring the most runs, Tendulkar has the record of scoring the most Test centuries, which amounts to 51. So, let’s glance at the list of top 10 batsmen who have scored the most Test centuries.
1. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 51 Centuries
Sachin Tendulkar is the one to have scored the most Test centuries, with an incredible 51 centuries. He is also ranked among the best in history. Tendulkar first played for India when he was 16 in 1989 against Pakistan. During a career that lasted 24 years, he played 200 Test matches and scored 15,921 runs with an average of 53.78 and a top score of 248*.
Tendulkar was a nightmare for bowlers all over the world. He had impeccable technique, quick reflexes, and a wide array of strokes. His career highlights include the famous ‘Desert Storm’ innings in Sharjah, his match-winning century in Chennai against England in 2008, and his double century against Australia in Sydney in 2004.
2. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 45 Centuries
Jacques Kallis, one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, scored 45 hundreds in his career from 1995 to 2013, the second most in Test cricket. Kallis scored 13,289 runs at an average of 55.37 in 166 Test matches.
He also scored the highest, 224. Kallis is the first man to gain more than 10,000 runs and more than 250 wickets in One-Day and Test Cricket, respectively. In Test Cricket, he earned Man of the Match 23 times. Thus, it became history for any cricketer. He quit all International Cricket on July 30, 2014.
3. Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 41 Centuries
Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, has 41 Test centuries. Ponting’s career lasted from 1995 to 2012. He played 168 Test matches, scoring 13,378 runs at an average of 51.85, with a highest score of 257.
Ponting was the lead run-scorer of Australia in Test and ODI cricket, with the aggressiveness of batting and impressive leadership skills. During his leadership, Australia dominated the world of cricket and has gained two ICC Cricket World Cups.
4. Kumar Sangakkara (SriLanka) – 38 Centuries
Kumar Sangakkara scored the fourth most Test cricket centuries by scoring 38 in his career between 2000 and 2015. Kumar Sangakkara played 134 test matches, garnering 12,400 runs at a great average of 57.40. Kumar Sangakkara’s top score is 319.
His elegant batting and precision timing were a delight to observe. He was not only a tremendous run-scorer but also an excellent wicket-keeper. In total international cricket, Sangakkara is the second-most run-scorer, having scored in total 28,016 runs with 63 centuries to his name. He retired in 2015 after playing nearly 500 games across formats.
5. Joe Root* (England) – 36 Centuries
Joe Root made his Test debut in 2012, but a year later, he hit his maiden century against New Zealand in 2013. India seem to be his favorite opponents, as ten of his 36 hundreds have come against the Men in Blue.
Besides the 35 centuries, Root has also hit 64 fifties in international cricket using red ball cricket. Amongst the 35 hundred, include 6 double hundreds, his highest century being 254, which is against Pakistan in 2016.
6. Rahul Dravid (India) – 36 Centuries
Rahul Dravid, one of the all-time greats of Indian cricket and current coach of the Indian Cricket Team, scored 36 Test centuries for India between 1996 and 2012. During his career Dravid played 164 Test matches, scoring 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31, with a highest score of 270.
Dravid’s batting was characterized by his marvelous technique and steely resolve. He was the pivot of India’s batting order that often came good in trying moments. Some notable knocks are the marathon effort of 270 against Pakistan in 2004 and the winning double century against Australia at Adelaide in 2003.
7. Younis Khan (Pakistan) – 34 Centuries
Younis Khan is the top scorer for Pakistan in whites with 34 Test centuries from 2000 to 2017. He has played 118 Test matches with 10,099 runs at an average of 52.05 and a highest score of 313.
He is the only Test cricketer who has scored a century in all 11 countries that have hosted Test matches. Younis Khan retired from all forms of international cricket in May 2017.
8. Sunil Gavaskar (India) – 34 Centuries
Sunil Gavaskar, one of India’s greatest opening batsmen, scored 34 Test centuries between 1971 and 1987. He was born on July 10, 1949, in Mumbai. Gavaskar played 125 Test matches and accumulated 10,122 runs at an average of 51.12, with a highest score of 236*.
Centuries against the fierce West Indies attack of the 1970s and 1980s are an all-time story. Several records, of which some were broken, retired Gavaskar from the field in 1987.
9. Brian Lara (west Indies) – 34 Centuries
Brian Lara, a West Indies batting legend, also reached 34 Test centuries from 1990 to 2006. Lara played 131 Test matches and scored 11,953 runs with an average of 52.88, including a high score of 400*.
Lara was known for his flamboyant style and ability to score big runs. His world record innings of 400* against England in 2004 and his 375 against the same opposition in 1994 are etched in cricket history. Lara’s ability to dominate bowlers and his flair for the dramatic made him one of the most exciting batsmen to watch.
10. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 34 Centuries
Between 1997 and 2014, Mahela Jayawardene scored 34 Test centuries. The batsman played 149 Test matches, scoring 11,814 runs at an average of 49.84. His highest score was 374. Jayawardene’s elegance and timing were the hallmarks of his batting.
His career includes a record partnership of 624 runs with Kumar Sangakkara against South Africa in 2006. His highest score of 374 runs was also against South Africa.
Conclusion
While any achievement in any cricket format is significant, being among the highest run-scorers and century-makers in Test cricket holds even greater significance because it reflects a player’s ability to excel in the game’s most demanding and rigorous format.
