Test cricket – the age-old format of the game we all love still remains the true contest between bat and ball. The red ball game does not just test a player’s patience but also is a test of patience and composure. In the rich history of cricket, few cricketers have excelled the format and very few have ruled the roost over a long period of time. In this article, we look back at some of the best bat-wielders of Test cricket who have scored the most number of centuries in their career.
5. Rahul Dravid
One of the greatest stalwarts of Test cricket, Rahul Dravid is widely admired for his exceptional ability to soak pressure under crunch conditions. A true gamechanger – he earned the tag of “The Wall” as he truly was a one-man unbreachable fortress for India in the 2000s across various conditions. The former skipper in 164 matches has scored 13,288 runs at a staggering average of 52.31.
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4. Kumar Sangakkara
The Sri Lankan southpaw brought a plethora of laurels for the island nation courtesy of his batting and wicket-keeping prowess. The ex-MCC President aggregated over 12,400 runs, which is the highest number of runs scored by any batter at No. 3. With 38 tons and 52 fifties, his average of 57.40 remains the best ever by any Sri Lankan batter.
3. Ricky Ponting
The Aussie maestro is regarded as one of the best cricketers of his generation. A shrewd captain, a prolific run scorer, and an incredible fielder – Ponting stands only behind Tendulkar with the most number of centuries by any batter across all formats. In 168 Tests, the aggressive batter aggregated 13,378 runs including 41 hundreds and 62 fifties.
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2. Jaques Kallis
Perhaps one of the most versatile players to grace the cricket field, Jaques Kallis is touted as the best all-rounder of his generation. The Proteas veteran amassed 13,289 runs in 166 Tests. He is the only cricketer to reach the 1000 run mark in both ODIs and Tests, as well as picked up more than 200 Tests and ODI scalps.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
The “God of Cricket” beyond any doubt leads the chart of batters with the most number of centuries in Test history. The Little Master is the only cricketer to play 200 Tests and is the all-time leading run-scorer of red ball cricket. He scored close to 16,000 runs with 51 centuries and 68 fifties.
| S. No. | Players | Centuries | Country |
| 1 | Sachin Tendulkar | 51 | India |
| 2 | Jacques Kallis | 45 | Australia |
| 3 | Ricky Ponting | 41 | India |
| 4 | Kumar Sangakkara | 38 | Sri Lanka |
| 5 | Rahul Dravid | 36 | South Africa |
