Most Centuries In Test Cricket
Test cricket is the longest and toughest form of the game, really testing a player’s skills. Scoring a century in Test cricket is a big deal for a batsman because it takes a lot of patience, skill, and focus to bat for a long time and make 100 runs. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the greats of cricket who have scored the most centuries in test cricket.
Top 5 batsmen with highest no of centuries in test cricket
1. Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for highest centuries in test cricket and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He scored 51 centuries in 200 Test matches, which is the most by any player in the history of Test cricket. Tendulkar’s first Test century came against England at Old Trafford in 1990, and his last Test century came against South Africa at Newlands in 2011. He scored centuries against all Test-playing nations and was the first player to score a double century in Test cricket.
2. Jacques Kallis: Jacques Kallis is one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket. He scored 45 centuries in 166 Test matches, which is the second-most by any player in the history of Test cricket. Kallis’ first Test century came against Australia at Adelaide in 1997, and his last Test century came against India at Centurion in 2010. He scored centuries against all Test-playing nations except Bangladesh.
3. Ricky Ponting: Ricky Ponting is one of the most successful captains in the history of cricket. He scored 41 centuries in 168 Test matches, which is the third-most by any player in the history of Test cricket. Ponting’s first Test century came against Sri Lanka at Perth in 1997, and his last Test century came against Pakistan at Hobart in 2010. He scored centuries against all Test-playing nations except Zimbabwe.
4. Kumar Sangakkara: Kumar Sangakkara is one of the greatest batsmen produced by Sri Lanka. He scored 38 centuries in 134 Test matches, which is the fourth-most by any player in the history of Test cricket. Sangakkara’s first Test century came against India at Galle in 2001, and his last Test century came against New Zealand at Wellington in 2015. He scored centuries against all Test-playing nations except Zimbabwe.
5. Rahul Dravid: Rahul Dravid is one of the most technically sound batsmen in the history of cricket. He scored 36 centuries in 164 Test matches, which is the fifth-most by any player in the history of Test cricket. Dravid’s first Test century came against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1997, and his last Test century came against England at The Oval in 2011. He scored centuries against all Test-playing nations except Bangladesh.
Top 50 Batsmen With Most Centuries In Test Cricket
| Sr. No. | Batsman | Span | Mat | Inns | 100 |
| 1 | SR Tendulkar (IND) | 1989-2013 | 200 | 329 | 51 |
| 2 | JH Kallis (ICC/SA) | 1995-2013 | 166 | 280 | 45 |
| 3 | RT Ponting (AUS) | 1995-2012 | 168 | 287 | 41 |
| 4 | KC Sangakkara (SL) | 2000-2015 | 134 | 233 | 38 |
| 5 | R Dravid (ICC/IND) | 1996-2012 | 164 | 286 | 36 |
| 6 | Younis Khan (PAK) | 2000-2017 | 118 | 213 | 34 |
| 7 | SM Gavaskar (IND) | 1971-1987 | 125 | 214 | 34 |
| 8 | BC Lara (ICC/WI) | 1990-2006 | 131 | 232 | 34 |
| 9 | DPMD Jayawardene (SL) | 1997-2014 | 149 | 252 | 34 |
| 10 | AN Cook (ENG) | 2006-2018 | 161 | 291 | 33 |
| 11 | SPD Smith (AUS) | 2010-2023 | 102 | 181 | 32 |
| 12 | SR Waugh (AUS) | 1985-2004 | 168 | 260 | 32 |
| 13 | ML Hayden (AUS) | 1994-2009 | 103 | 184 | 30 |
| 14 | JE Root (ENG) | 2012-2023 | 135 | 247 | 30 |
| 15 | S Chanderpaul (WI) | 1994-2015 | 164 | 280 | 30 |
| 16 | DG Bradman (AUS) | 1928-1948 | 52 | 80 | 29 |
| 17 | KS Williamson (NZ) | 2010-2023 | 96* | 167 | 29 |
| 18 | V Kohli (IND) | 2011-2023 | 111 | 187 | 29 |
| 19 | MJ Clarke (AUS) | 2004-2015 | 115 | 198 | 28 |
| 20 | HM Amla (SA) | 2004-2019 | 124 | 215 | 28 |
| 21 | GC Smith (ICC/SA) | 2002-2014 | 117 | 205 | 27 |
| 22 | AR Border (AUS) | 1978-1994 | 156 | 265 | 27 |
| 23 | GS Sobers (WI) | 1954-1974 | 93 | 160 | 26 |
| 24 | DA Warner (AUS) | 2011-2023 | 109 | 199 | 25 |
| 25 | Inzamam-ul-Haq (ICC/PAK) | 1992-2007 | 120 | 200 | 25 |
| 26 | GS Chappell (AUS) | 1970-1984 | 87 | 151 | 24 |
| 27 | Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) | 1998-2010 | 90 | 156 | 24 |
| 28 | IVA Richards (WI) | 1974-1991 | 121 | 182 | 24 |
| 29 | V Sehwag (ICC/IND) | 2001-2013 | 104 | 180 | 23 |
| 30 | KP Pietersen (ENG) | 2005-2014 | 104 | 181 | 23 |
| 31 | JL Langer (AUS) | 1993-2007 | 105 | 182 | 23 |
| 32 | Javed Miandad (PAK) | 1976-1993 | 124 | 189 | 23 |
| 33 | WR Hammond (ENG) | 1927-1947 | 85 | 140 | 22 |
| 34 | M Azharuddin (IND) | 1984-2000 | 99 | 147 | 22 |
| 35 | MC Cowdrey (ENG) | 1954-1975 | 114 | 188 | 22 |
| 36 | AB de Villiers (SA) | 2004-2018 | 114 | 191 | 22 |
| 37 | G Boycott (ENG) | 1964-1982 | 108 | 193 | 22 |
| 38 | IR Bell (ENG) | 2004-2015 | 118 | 205 | 22 |
| 39 | RN Harvey (AUS) | 1948-1963 | 79 | 137 | 21 |
| 40 | G Kirsten (SA) | 1993-2004 | 101 | 176 | 21 |
| 41 | AJ Strauss (ENG) | 2004-2012 | 100 | 178 | 21 |
| 42 | DC Boon (AUS) | 1984-1996 | 107 | 190 | 21 |
| 43 | KF Barrington (ENG) | 1955-1968 | 82 | 131 | 20 |
| 44 | PA de Silva (SL) | 1984-2002 | 93 | 159 | 20 |
| 45 | ME Waugh (AUS) | 1991-2002 | 128 | 209 | 20 |
| 46 | GA Gooch (ENG) | 1975-1995 | 118 | 215 | 20 |
| 47 | MEK Hussey (AUS) | 2005-2013 | 79 | 137 | 19 |
| 48 | L Hutton (ENG) | 1937-1955 | 79 | 138 | 19 |
| 49 | CH Lloyd (WI) | 1966-1985 | 110 | 175 | 19 |
| 50 | CA Pujara (IND) | 2010-2023 | 103 | 176 | 19 |
Data Source: ESPN Cricinfo
FAQs
Q: Who has most centuries in test cricket?
A: Sachin Tendulkar has 51 centuries in test cricket and it highest no of centuries so far for any batsman.
Q: Who has the most 100 in ODI history?
A: Virat Kohli from India has 50 centuries in ODI cricket and it highest no of centuries so far for any batsman ODIs.
Q: How many players hit 300 in Test?
A: There have been 31 instances of a player scoring 300 or more runs in a single innings in Test cricket and 27 batsmen who have scored a triple century in test cricket.
Q: How many centuries does Babar Azam have?
A: As of 06-12-2023, Babar Azam has 9 centuries in test cricket, 19 centuries in ODIs and 3 centuries in T20 internationals.
Q: Who scored 2 century in Test?
A: Many cricketers have scored two centuries in a Test match. Some notable instances include:
Sir Donald Bradman (Australia): Bradman achieved this feat six times during his illustrious career.
Sunil Gavaskar (India): Gavaskar accomplished this twice in his Test career.
Ricky Ponting (Australia): Ponting also scored two centuries in a Test match on two occasions.
Q: Who scored slowest century in Test?
A: Mudasar Nazar from Pakistan scored 114 runs against the West Indies in 1977 during Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies. He took 449 deliveries and 591 minutes to score 114 runs.
Q: Does 200 count in century?
A: No, 200 does not count as a century in cricket. In cricket terminology, a century specifically refers to a batsman scoring 100 runs in an inning. When a batsman reaches the milestone of 100 runs, it is called a century. If a batsman scores 200 runs in an inning, it is referred to as a double century, and the terminology changes to reflect the achievement of reaching 200 runs rather than 100.
Q: Who has the most test centuries in history?
A: Sachin Tendulkar has the most centuries in test cricket history. He scored 51 centuries in test cricket.
