Brian Lara is the fastest batsman to 10,000 runs in Tests. Test cricket is considered to be the purest form of cricket. Even in an era where the two shorter formats of the game have become extremely popular, hard-core fans of the sport still pick Test cricket as their favourite format. Former India captain and one of the best cricketers ever, Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs in Test cricket – 15921 runs in 329 innings. But B. He took 111 matches to reach the milestone. Let’s find out who the top 10 batsmen to have scored 10,000 runs in Tests are.
Batsman to score 10,000 Test runs – top 10 list
| Player | Matches | Innings | Runs | Average | 100 | 50 |
| Sachin Tendulkar (India) | 200 | 329 | 15921 | 53.78 | 51 | 68 |
| Ricky Ponting (Australia) | 168 | 287 | 13378 | 51.85 | 41 | 62 |
| Jacques Kallis (South Africa) | 166 | 280 | 13289 | 55.37 | 45 | 58 |
| Rahul Dravid (India) | 164 | 286 | 13288 | 52.31 | 36 | 63 |
| Alastair Cook (England) | 161 | 291 | 12472 | 45.35 | 33 | 57 |
| Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) | 134 | 233 | 12400 | 57.40 | 38 | 52 |
| Brian Lara (West Indies) | 131 | 232 | 11953 | 52.88 | 34 | 48 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) | 164 | 280 | 11867 | 51.37 | 30 | 66 |
| Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) | 149 | 252 | 11814 | 49.84 | 34 | 50 |
| Allan Border (Australia) | 156 | 265 | 11174 | 50.56 | 27 | 63 |
Sachin Tendulkar
India cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs in Test cricket. The former India captain finished his long career with 15,921 runs in 200 matches at an average of 53.78. Tendulkar hit 51 hundreds and 68 fifties in his illustrious career. He is the first, and only cricketer to score 50 Test hundreds. Sachin achieved this feat against in 2010 against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. The most capped player in Test Cricket (200 games), Tendulkar also holds the record for most Test centuries by an Indian batsman in a calendar year (7), most 150+ scores in Test cricket (20) and most Man of the Match award for an Indian in Tests (14).
One of Tendulkar’s best knocks in Test cricket came in 2004 against Australia in Sydney. His unbeaten 241 helped India draw the match, and the series. The 136 against Pakistan in Chennai is another of his masterclass in Test cricket. Despite battling a back pain, Sachin took on the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaque and notched up a 136 for India, who were in pursuit of 271. Although India lost, Sachin’s will power to carry on with his innings despite back pain made his knock special.
Ricky Ponting
Second top-run scorer in Test cricket is former Australia captain Ricky Ponting. Ponting is Australia’s highest run-scorer in Tests with 13,378 runs from 168 Tests, including 41 hundreds and 62 half-centuries. He finished his career that started in 1995 and ended in 2012 with an average of almost 52. Interestingly, Ponting is the only cricketer ever to be involved in 100 Test wins. Also, under his captaincy, Australia remained undefeated for 22 Tests from September 2005 to January 2008. This is the fourth-longest undefeated streak in Test cricket history. Not just in the longest format, Ponting is also Australia’s leading run-scorer in the ODI format of the game.
A few of Ponting’s innings are regarded as his greatest in Test cricket. The 197 against Pakistan in Perth (1999) in one such knock that comes to the mind. In what was a very aggressive inning, Ponting smashed all the fearsome bowlers from Pakistan and scored a knock of 197. Unfortunately, he missed a double century by just three runs.
Jacques Kallis
One of South Africa’s greatest batsmen ever, Jacques Kallis is the third-highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 13289 runs in 280 innings at an average of 55.37. This includes 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries. Between January 1999 and December 2012, the prolific batsman amassed 11,961 runs in 136 Tests at staggering average of 61.33, including 42 centuries and 51 fifties. In 2003-04, Kallis scored centuries in five consecutive Tests matches, a record bettered only by Don Bradman, who achieved the feat in six successive Tests. Kallis’ 115 in his last innings before retirement against in Durban made him just the fourth South African batsman to score a ton in his last-ever Test innings. Interestingly, he scored a Test hundred for South Africa each year between 1997 and 2013, when he put down curtains on his career.
One of his best knocks came against Pakistan In Karachi in 2008, when he scored a century each in both innings of the Test. South Africa batted first and scored 450 in their first innings on the back of 155 by Kallis.
Leading by 159, they were in trouble in their second innings at 3 for 43, but Kallis had other plans. He scored an unbeaten 100 to help South Africa win the game by 160 runs and the series 1-0.
Rahul Dravid
Another Indian to be on the list of batsman with 10,000 runs in Test cricket is Rahul Dravid, who finished his Test career in 2012 with 13288 runs from 286 innings at an average of 52.31, including 36 centuries and 63 half-centuries. One of the best slip fielders, Dravid took a total of 210 catches as a fielder in Tests – the most by any fielder from any team. ‘The Wall’ also holds the record for most time spent at the crease by a Test batsman (35 hours and 52 minutes). Additionally, Dravid is the only Indian cricketer to score a century in four consecutive innings. Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar scored 6920 runs in partnership in Test cricket – the most by any pair in the world.
Some of Dravid’s best knocks in Test cricket are the 146* vs England in Oval, 2011, the 217 vs England, also in Oval, 2002, a 270 vs Pakistan in Rawalpindi, 2004, and a 180 and a 233 vs Australia in 2001 and 2003, respectively.
Alastair Cook
Former England skipper Alastair Cook is the fifth-highest run-scorer in Test cricket with 12472 runs in 161 innings at an average of 45.35. This includes 33 centuries and 57 fifties. He became only the fifth English batsman to score both a ton and half-century in a debut Test in 2006. He became England’s all-time leading run scorer in May 2015, surpassing Graham Gooch’s record of 8,900 runs. At one point, he became the youngest English player to score 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 Test runs. Interestingly, Cook missed just one Test match since making his debut. He missed his third Test due to an upset stomach, but since then, he played for England in 158 consecutive Test matches. 235 against Australia, Brisbane, 2010, 263 against Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 2015 and 294 against India, Edgbaston, 2011 are some of his best knocks in Tests.
FAQS
Who was the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket?
Brian Lara was the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Tests
What is the highest individual score in Test cricket?
Brian Lara’s unbeaten 400 against England is the highest individul score in Tests
Who has scored the most runs in Test cricket?
Sachin Tendulkar has scored the most runs in Test cricket
Who has scored the most runs in Tests in 2022?
Jonny Bairstow has scored most runs in Tests in 2022 – 1061 runs in 19 innings.
