Test match is a five-day long cricket match with the longest match duration. Each day’s play lasts almost six hours and at least 90 overs bowled per day. Each innings is over when either 10 batsmen are out or the captain of the batting side declares the innings finished. It is considered to be a complete examination of teams’ playing ability and endurance. The name comes from the five-day-long match being a “test” of the relative strengths of the two sides. Here is a list of 10 players with most runs in test cricket history:
10 Players with Most Runs in Test cricket history
10. Allan Border- 11174 runs
Allan Robert Border is a former Australian international cricketer. He was for many years the captain of the Australian team. His playing nickname was “A.B.”. His first Test century was a bitter-sweet one. In the first Test against Pakistan in 1979, Australia needed 382 runs to clinch the match. Border notched his first ton as Australia reached 305/3. In the 2nd Test of the 1984 series at Port of Spain in Trinidad, Border withstood some ferocious bowling as he stroked 98 and 100. In a Test match against New Zealand at Christchurch in 1993, he went past Sunil Gavaskar’s mark of 10122 runs to become the highest run-getter in Tests. He played his final Test against South Africa and became a selector after-ward.
Test Record:
| Matches | 156 |
| Innings | 265 |
| Runs | 11174 |
| Average | 50.56 |
| Best | 205 |
| 100s | 27 |
| 50s | 63 |
9. Mahela Jayawardene- 11814 runs
Denagamage Praboth Mahela de Silva Jayawardene is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who is also the current consultant coach of Sri Lanka national cricket team. He is also the most successful captain along with Sanath Jayasuri. The major drawback in his career is his relative lack of success in overseas conditions. His averages in Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand are all less than 35, but at home he averages more than 60. He was not afraid to take risks on the field. In 2006, the year in which he was made captain for both Tests and ODIs, he scored a majestic 374 against South Africa, the highest individual score in Tests for a Sri Lankan.
Test Record:
| Matches | 149 |
| Innings | 252 |
| Runs | 11814 |
| Average | 49.84 |
| Best | 374 |
| 100s | 34 |
| 50s | 50 |
8. Shivnarine Chanderpaul- 11867 runs
Chanderpaul is the first Indo-Caribbean to play 100 Tests for the West Indies. His first Test century came in his 19th match, after scoring as many as 15 half centuries in the previous 18 matches. His batting stance has been described as being ‘crab-like’ and ugly to watch. He has the record for the 4th fastest Test century. He smashed a ton in just 67 balls against the Australians in 2002. Though his game is more suited to Test cricket, Chanderpaul enjoyed good success in ODIs as well. In 2008, he smashed 442 runs in 3 Tests against Australia at home. His performances were recognized and rewarded, when he won the Wisden Cricketer of the Year and ICC player of the year awards for the year 2008.
Test Record:
| Matches | 164 |
| Innings | 280 |
| Runs | 11867 |
| Average | 51.37 |
| Best | 203 |
| 100s | 30 |
| 50s | 66 |
7. Brian Lara- 11953 runs
Brian Lara is a Trinidadian former international cricketer. He initially excelled in junior soccer and table tennis but cricket was his burning love. In the absence of Viv Richards, Lara was handed his Test debut the same year against Pakistan in Lahore. He is the first and only player to smash 400 in a test match. On 19 April 2007 Lara announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket, indicating that the West Indies vs England match on 21 April 2007 would be his last international appearance.
Test Record:
| Matches | 131 |
| Innings | 232 |
| Runs | 11953 |
| Average | 52.88 |
| Best | 400 |
| 100s | 34 |
| 50s | 48 |
Also Read: 5 Players With Most Runs In Tests In 2022
6. Kumar Sangakkara- 12400 runs
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is a former Sri-Lankan cricketer. After playing close to 500 international games for his country, the all-time great cricketer played his final game in a Test against India at Colombo (PSS) in 2015. On January 4, 2015, in a Test against New Zealand, Sangakkara scored his 11th double ton. Sangakkara became the youngest person to deliver the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey lecture at Lord’s. Eight times Sangakkara has batted in an innings for more than 500 minutes, the most by any batsman in Tests. Three other batsmen – Rahul Dravid, Sunil Gavaskar and Mahela Jayawardene – have batted for 500-plus minutes on seven occasions.
Test Record:
| Matches | 134 |
| Innings | 233 |
| Runs | 12400 |
| Average | 57.40 |
| Best | 319 |
| 100s | 38 |
| 50s | 52 |
5. Alastair Cook- 12472 runs
Sir Alastair Cook is an English cricketer who played for England in all International formats. In truth, Cook had been in decline as a batsman for some time. He was 33 when he played his final Test – there were many miles on the clock. He had already become his nation’s highest run-scorer and century-maker in Test cricket, he had also taken the most catches (as a non-keeper) and set a world record for the most Test caps in succession: an eye-watering 159. He has more Test centuries than any other English batsman to have played the game. More than the number of centuries, what’s impressive is his hunger for big runs even after scoring a hundred.
Test Record:
| Matches | 161 |
| Innings | 291 |
| Runs | 12472 |
| Average | 45.35 |
| Best | 294 |
| 100s | 33 |
| 50s | 57 |
4. Rahul Dravid- 13288 runs
Rahul Sharad Dravid is a former Indian cricketer and captain of the Indian national team, currently serving as its head coach. He is also known as the Wall, a term coined by the journalist. I think it’s quite clear how important Rahul Dravid was to the Indian team. He did every thankless job for the team, such as protecting the middle-order from the new ball, in addition to scoring runs. Of course, people only look at the runs. Sachin’s 193 features above Dravid’s 148 in that Leed’s Test scorecard. It was Sachin’s innings that stole the limelight because he went past the Don’s century tally. But the team knew what Dravid’s innings was worth.
Test Record:
| Matches | 164 |
| Innings | 286 |
| Runs | 13288 |
| Average | 52.31 |
| Best | 270 |
| 100s | 36 |
| 50s | 63 |
3. Jacques Kallis- 13289 runs
Jacques Kallis is the greatest South African all-rounder of all time. He made his test debut in the year 1995 against England and soon after he produced a match saving hundred in his seventh test match in Australia. As of 2021 he is the only cricketer in the history of the game to score more than 10,000 runs and take over 250 wickets in both ODI and Test match cricket; he also took 131 ODI catches. He scored 13,289 runs in his test career and took 292 wickets and 200 catches. From October to December 2007, he scored five centuries in four Test matches. With his century in the second innings of the third Test against India in January 2011.
Test Record:
| Matches | 166 |
| Innings | 280 |
| Runs | 13289 |
| Average | 55.37 |
| Best | 224 |
| 100s | 45 |
| 50s | 58 |
2. Ricky Ponting- 13378 runs
Ricky Thomas Ponting is an Australian cricket coach, commentator, and former cricketer. Ponting was captain of the Australian National Team during its “golden era”, between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket. The best quality about Ponting was his burning desire to win matches and at times, the desperation did bring up infamous incidents but what shone through his career was the sheer desire to be victorious. Three World Cup titles including two consecutive ones as captain to go with a couple of Champions Trophy titles and the no. 2 Test ranking shows that he had seen it all in the international arena.
It is difficult to rank him in the high reaches of the game’s greatest run makers. He smashed 96 runs on his test debut in 1995 which was against Sri-Lanka at Perth. He has earned records like Most Matches in Career(3rd), Most Consecutive Matches as A Captain of Team(2nd) and Most Runs in Career(2nd).
Test Record:
| Matches | 168 |
| Innings | 287 |
| Runs | 13378 |
| Average | 51.85 |
| Best | 257 |
| 100s | 41 |
| 50s | 62 |
1. S.R Tendulkar- 15921 runs
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian former international cricketer who captained the Indian national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is known as the God of cricket or master blaster. It is a name that continues to inspire many. A child prodigy, Sachin made his test debut on November 15, 1989 against Pakistan at National Stadium. In his debut Test match, he scored only 15 runs but after that he never looked back and went on to score runs all over the world against the best of the bowlers over time. He dominated in Test cricket for more than 20 years and before playing his 200th and final Test match against West Indies at home ground in Mumbai in 2013, he had broken almost all records in Test cricket.
Test Record:
| Matches | 200 |
| Innings | 329 |
| Runs | 15921 |
| Average | 53.78 |
| Best | 248 |
| 100s | 51 |
| 50s | 68 |
Here the list of top 10 players with most runs in test cricket history ends.
| Name | Highest Runs | Total Runs in Test Cricket | |
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 248 | 15921 |
| 2 | Ricky Ponting | 257 | 13378 |
| 3 | Jacques Kallis | 224 | 13289 |
| 4 | Rahul Dravid | 270 | 13288 |
| 5 | Alastair Cook | 294 | 12472 |
| 6 | Kumar Sangakkara | 319 | 12400 |
| 7 | Brian Lara | 400 | 11953 |
| 8 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 203 | 11867 |
| 9 | Mahela Jayawardene | 374 | 11814 |
| 10 | Allan Border | 205 | 11174 |
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