Test cricket is all about determination and right platform to showcase your talent. Test cricket have seen some amazing legends including the great Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Ricky Ponting, Rahul Dravid, Brian Lara and many more.
Each and every player holds different record in test cricket. For example Sachin Tendulkar was first player to cross 15000 test runs and still not a single player is even near to break the record. The West Indian legend Brian Lara is world record holder to score highest runs in a single innings against England. Virender Sehwag has the highest strike rate amongst other batsman and changed the course of the game when he arrived in test cricket. Test cricket is about consistency. In earlier times there was very low number of test teams and they didn’t play test cricket frequently and in today’s generation teams even playing back to back test series. Some players are even scoring more than 1000 runs in a calendar year.
As I said in test match cricket a player can play 90 overs per day and he can show his best batting and bowling ability in day’s play. Many players have batted throughout the day and scored plenty of runs. In test match cricket one more benefit for batsman is that they can bat twice in the match so even if they fail in either inning they can catch their score. In recent time there are few players who can be at top after few years if they plays consistently. In this list some great names are there including Virat Kohli, Hasim Amla, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson & Steve Smith.
I have compiled top 20 highest run scorers of test cricket. Only 2 players are currently playing amongst top players like Alastair Cook and Younis Khan.
Top 20 Highest Run Scorers in Test Cricket
| Player | Test Match | Inning | Runs | High Score | Avg | 100 | 50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SR Tendulkar (INDIA) | 200 | 329 | 15921 | 248* | 53.78 | 51 | 68 |
| RT Ponting (AUS) | 168 | 287 | 13378 | 257 | 51.85 | 41 | 62 |
| JH Kallis (ICC/SA) | 166 | 280 | 13289 | 224 | 55.37 | 45 | 58 |
| R Dravid (ICC/INDIA) | 164 | 286 | 13288 | 270 | 52.31 | 36 | 63 |
| KC Sangakkara (SL) | 134 | 233 | 12400 | 319 | 57.4 | 38 | 52 |
| BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 131 | 232 | 11953 | 400* | 52.88 | 34 | 48 |
| S Chanderpaul (WI) | 164 | 280 | 11867 | 203* | 51.37 | 30 | 66 |
| DPMD Jayawardene (SL) | 149 | 252 | 11814 | 374 | 49.84 | 34 | 50 |
| AR Border (AUS) | 156 | 265 | 11174 | 205 | 50.56 | 27 | 63 |
| AN Cook (ENG) | 140 | 253 | 11057 | 294 | 46.45 | 30 | 53 |
| SR Waugh (AUS) | 168 | 260 | 10927 | 200 | 51.06 | 32 | 50 |
| SM Gavaskar (INDIA) | 125 | 214 | 10122 | 236* | 51.12 | 34 | 45 |
| Younis Khan (PAK) | 115 | 207 | 9977 | 313 | 53.06 | 34 | 32 |
| GC Smith (ICC/SA) | 117 | 205 | 9265 | 277 | 48.25 | 27 | 38 |
| GA Gooch (ENG) | 118 | 215 | 8900 | 333 | 42.58 | 20 | 46 |
| Javed Miandad (PAK) | 124 | 189 | 8832 | 280* | 52.57 | 23 | 43 |
| Inzamam-ul-Haq (ICC/PAK) | 120 | 200 | 8830 | 329 | 49.6 | 25 | 46 |
| VVS Laxman (INDIA) | 134 | 225 | 8781 | 281 | 45.97 | 17 | 56 |
| MJ Clarke (AUS) | 115 | 198 | 8643 | 329* | 49.1 | 28 | 27 |
| ML Hayden (AUS) | 103 | 184 | 8625 | 380 | 50.73 | 30 | 29 |
| V Sehwag (ICC/INDIA) | 104 | 180 | 8586 | 319 | 49.34 | 23 | 32 |
| IVA Richards (WI) | 121 | 182 | 8540 | 291 | 50.23 | 24 | 45 |
| AJ Stewart (ENG) | 133 | 235 | 8463 | 190 | 39.54 | 15 | 45 |
| DI Gower (ENG) | 117 | 204 | 8231 | 215 | 44.25 | 18 | 39 |
| KP Pietersen (ENG) | 104 | 181 | 8181 | 227 | 47.28 | 23 | 35 |
| G Boycott (ENG) | 108 | 193 | 8114 | 246* | 47.72 | 22 | 42 |
| AB de Villiers (SA) | 106 | 176 | 8074 | 278* | 50.46 | 21 | 39 |
| GS Sobers (WI) | 93 | 160 | 8032 | 365* | 57.78 | 26 | 30 |
| ME Waugh (AUS) | 128 | 209 | 8029 | 153* | 41.81 | 20 | 47 |
| HM Amla (SA) | 101* | 170 | 7800 | 311* | 49.68 | 26 | 31 |
| MA Atherton (ENG) | 115 | 212 | 7728 | 185* | 37.69 | 16 | 46 |
| IR Bell (ENG) | 118 | 205 | 7727 | 235 | 42.69 | 22 | 46 |
| JL Langer (AUS) | 105 | 182 | 7696 | 250 | 45.27 | 23 | 30 |
| MC Cowdrey (ENG) | 114 | 188 | 7624 | 182 | 44.06 | 22 | 38 |
| CG Greenidge (WI) | 108 | 185 | 7558 | 226 | 44.72 | 19 | 34 |
| Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) | 90 | 156 | 7530 | 223 | 52.29 | 24 | 33 |
| MA Taylor (AUS) | 104 | 186 | 7525 | 334* | 43.49 | 19 | 40 |
| CH Lloyd (WI) | 110 | 175 | 7515 | 242* | 46.67 | 19 | 39 |
| DL Haynes (WI) | 116 | 202 | 7487 | 184 | 42.29 | 18 | 39 |
| DC Boon (AUS) | 107 | 190 | 7422 | 200 | 43.65 | 21 | 32 |
| G Kirsten (SA) | 101 | 176 | 7289 | 275 | 45.27 | 21 | 34 |
| WR Hammond (ENG) | 85 | 140 | 7249 | 336* | 58.45 | 22 | 24 |
| CH Gayle (WI) | 103 | 182 | 7214 | 333 | 42.18 | 15 | 37 |
| SC Ganguly (INDIA) | 113 | 188 | 7212 | 239 | 42.17 | 16 | 35 |
| SP Fleming (NZ) | 111 | 189 | 7172 | 274* | 40.06 | 9 | 46 |
| GS Chappell (AUS) | 87 | 151 | 7110 | 247* | 53.86 | 24 | 31 |
| AJ Strauss (ENG) | 100 | 178 | 7037 | 177 | 40.91 | 21 | 27 |
| DG Bradman (AUS) | 52 | 80 | 6996 | 334 | 99.94 | 29 | 13 |
| ST Jayasuriya (SL) | 110 | 188 | 6973 | 340 | 40.07 | 14 | 31 |
| L Hutton (ENG) | 79 | 138 | 6971 | 364 | 56.67 | 19 | 33 |
