Test cricket is the most evenly matched format today. While the white-ball format tends to favor the batters, the Test format still offers a lot to the bowlers. Because the pitches are curated in a certain way, it is much easier to score runs in the white-ball format than in the red-ball format.
Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid are some of the greatest red-ball players of all time. The heavyweights defined the art of batting in the longest format. Not only were they consistent with the bat in hand, they also rarely missed a match due to fitness issues.
Consistency is arguably the most important aspect of the game, along with availability. The above-mentioned cricketers have all scored over 10,000 runs in Tests. Here is the complete list of batters who have etched their names in the history of the game by scoring over 10,000 runs.
BET NOW: Exclusive sign-up offers and bonuses for sports betting
Who scores the most runs in Tests?
India’s Sachin Tendulkar is the player with the most runs in men’s Tests. Tendulkar is one of the most legendary players of all time and has made the most appearances in the red-ball format.
With almost 16,000 runs to his name, the Master Blaster has played in 200 Test matches for India. He averages over 53 runs per innings, with a high score of 248*. The Indian veteran scored 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries in a career spanning over two decades.
| Games | Running | Average | Hit rate | 50s | 100s | High score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | 15921 | 53.78 | 54.04 | 68 | 51 | 248* |
MORE: When is the Indian cricket team’s next match?
List of players with more than 10000 runs in Tests
| player | country | Games | Running | Average | Hit rate | 50s/100s | High score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 200 | 15921 | 53.78 | 54.04 | 68/51 | 248* |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 168 | 13378 | 51.85 | 58.72 | 62/41 | 257 |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 166 | 13289 | 55.37 | 45.97 | 58/45 | 224 |
| Rahul Dravid | India | 164 | 13288 | 52.31 | 42.51 | 63/36 | 270 |
| Alastair Cook | England | 161 | 12472 | 45.35 | 46,95 | 57/33 | 294 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | Sri Lanka | 134 | 12400 | 57.40 | 54.19 | 52/38 | 319 |
| Joe Root | England | 143 | 12027 | 50.11 | 56.71 | 63/32 | 254 |
| Brian Lara | West Indies | 131 | 11953 | 52.88 | 60.51 | 48/34 | 400* |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul | West Indies | 164 | 11867 | 51.37 | 43.31 | 66/30 | 203* |
| Mahela Jayawardena | Sri Lanka | 149 | 11814 | 49.84 | 51.45 | 50/34 | 374 |
| Allan Border | Australia | 156 | 11174 | 50.56 | 41.09 | 63/27 | 205 |
| Steve Waugh | Australia | 168 | 10927 | 51.06 | 48.64 | 50/32 | 200 |
| Sunil Gavaskar | India | 125 | 10122 | 51.12 | 43.35 | 45/34 | 236* |
| Younis Khan | Pakistan | 118 | 10099 | 52.05 | 52.12 | 33/34 | 313 |
MORE: IPL 2025 mega auction: IPL teams can keep up to six players
If you purchase a product or register an account through one of the links on our website, we may receive compensation. Sporting News has editorial oversight of this content. Learn more >
