Donald Bradman,holder of several Test batting records including highest batting averageSachin Tendulkar,the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test cricketMuttiah Muralitharan,the highest wicket-taker in Test cricketGeorge Lohmann,the holder of best bowling average in Test cricket
Test cricketis played between internationalcricketteams who areFull Membersof theInternational Cricket Council(ICC).[1]UnlikeOne Day Internationals,Test matches consist of twoinningsper team, with no limit in the number ofovers.[2]Test cricket isfirst-class cricket,so statistics and records set in Test matches are also counted toward first-class records. The duration of Tests, currently limited to five days, has varied through Test history, ranging from three days totimeless matches.[3][4]The earliest match now recognised as a Test was played betweenEnglandandAustraliain March 1877;[5]since then there have been over 2,000 Tests played by 13 teams. The frequency of Tests has steadily increased partly because of the increase in the number of Test-playing countries, and partly as cricket boards seek to maximise their revenue.[6]
Cricket is, by its nature, capable of generating large numbers ofrecords and statistics.[7]This list details the most significant team and individual records in Test cricket.
As of July 2024[update],the most successful team in Test cricket, in terms of bothwinsand win percentage, is Australia, having won 414 of their 866 Tests (47.80%). Excluding teams who have only played a small number of Tests, the least successful team isZimbabwe.
AustralianDonald Bradman,widely considered the greatest batsman of all time,[8][9]holds several personal and partnership records. He scored the most runs in a series, has the mostdouble centuriesand was a part of the record 5th wicketpartnership.His most significant record is hisbatting averageof 99.94. One of cricket's most famous statistics,[10][11]it still stands almost 40runshigher than any other batsman's career average. Don Bradman is the only player in the world to have scored 5000 runs against a single opposition: 5028 runs against England.[12]
In the Manchester Test of 1956, Englandspin bowlerJim Lakertook 19wicketsfor 90 runs (19–90) which set not only the Test record for best match figures but also the first-class one.[13]In taking 10–53 in the second innings he became the first bowler tocapture ten wicketsin a Test match innings, and hisanalysisremains the best innings figures. Indianleg spinnerAnil Kumblewas the second bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings, claiming 10–74 againstPakistanin 1999.[14]In December 2021, New Zealand spinner,Ajaz Patelbecame the third bowler to take 10 wickets in an innings.[15]West IndiesbatsmanBrian Larahas the highest individual score in Test cricket: he scored 400not outagainst England in 2004 to surpass the innings of 380 byMatthew Haydensix months earlier. Lara had held the record before Hayden, with a score of 375 against England 10 years earlier.[16]Pakistan'sMisbah-ul-Haqholds the record of the fastest Test half century, scoring 50 runs from 21 balls. The record for the fastest Test century is held by New Zealand'sBrendon McCullum,who scored 100 runs from 54 balls in his final Test match.
The trend of countries playing more Test matches in the modern era means that the aggregate lists are dominated by modern players.Sri LankanspinnerMuttiah Muralitharanbecame the highest Test wicket-taker in December 2007, when he passedShane Warne's total of 708 wickets.[17]Within a year, the equivalent batting record of highest run-scorer had also changed hands:Sachin Tendulkarsurpassed the tally of 11,953 runs by Brian Lara.[18]The record for mostdismissalsby awicket-keeperis held byMark BoucherofSouth Africa[19]while the record for mostcatchesby afielderis held byRahul Dravid.[20]
Listing criteria
In general the top five are listed in each category (except when there is a tie for the last place among the five, when all the tied record holders are noted).
Listing notation
Team notation
(300–3) indicates that a team scored 300runsfor threewicketsand the innings was closed, either due to a successful run chase or if no playing time remained
(300–3 d) indicates that a team scored 300 runs for three wickets, and declared its innings closed
(300) indicates that a team scored 300 runs and wasall out
Batting notation
(100) indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and wasout
(100*) indicates that a batsman scored 100 runs and was not out
Bowling notation
(5–100) indicates that a bowler has captured 5 wickets while conceding 100 runs
Currently playing
† indicates a current Test cricketer
Seasons
Domesticcricket seasonsin Australia,New Zealand,South Africa,India,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Zimbabweand theWest Indiesmay span two calendar years, and are by convention said to be played in (e.g.) "2008–09". A cricket season in England is described as a single year.e.g."2009". An international Test series may be for a much shorter duration, andCricinfotreats this issue by stating "any series or matches which began between May and September of any given year will appear in the relevant single year season and any that began between October and April will appear in the relevant cross-year season".[21]In the record tables, a two-year span generally indicates that the record was set within a domestic season in one of the above named countries.
Note:If the qualification is removed, the record Test batting average is AustralianKurtis Patterson's144.00; Patterson made scores of 30 and 114 not out in his only two Test innings.[40]A very fewone-Test wondershave never been dismissed, leaving them without a defined Test batting average. Notable players who played only a single Test innings without a dismissal areStuart Law(54*, inningsdeclared) andAndy Lloyd(10*, retired hurt).[41][42]
Note:Misbah's is also the fastest in minutes, at 24 minutes, with Ashraful in second place on 27. Some records credit Victor Trumper with a 22-minute half-century against South Africa at Johannesburg in 1902-3, but this only counted the time he was on strike: the total time for his fifty is recorded as 45 minutes. Some sources also credit Ian Botham with a 26-ball half-century against India at Delhi in 1981-2, but this is a printing error: the scorecard records 28 balls.
^Allen Hilltook the first Test wicket, but only two in the First Test match.Alfred Shaw(3/51 & 5/35) andTom Kendall(1/54 & 7/55) both took eight wickets, but asAustraliabatted first Shaw was the first to take five wickets in an innings and the first to take eight Test wickets. Kendall overtook him in the Second Test and Shaw subsequently increased his total to 12 wickets (15.35) in seven Tests[65]
^Johnny BriggsequalledFred Spofforth's record of 94 Test wickets on 29 December 1894 in the Second Test atMelbourne,as didCharles Turnertwo days later. Briggs overtook Turner and Spofforth in the Third Test atAdelaide,which Turner missed, and became the first man to claim 100 Test wickets on 1 February 1895 in the Fourth Test atSydney.Turner became the second three days later and ended with a total of 101 wickets (16.53) in 17 Tests[66][67]
^Johnny Briggs equalledGeorge Lohmann's record of 112 Test wickets on 3 January 1898 in the Second Test atMelbourneand overtook him in the next match at Adelaide.
^Fred TruemanovertookBrian Statham's then record of 242 Test wickets and Statham subsequently increased his total to 252 wickets (24.84) in 70 Tests
^Richard HadleeovertookIan Botham's then record of 373 Test wickets and Botham subsequently increased his total to 383 wickets (28.40) in 102 Tests
^abShane WarneovertookMuttiah Muralitharan's then record of 532 Test wickets and Muralitharan subsequently increased his total to 800 wickets (22.72) in 133 Tests[68]
Fastest to multiples of 50 wickets
Ravichandran Ashwinholds world record for quickest to reach 250, 300 and 350 Test wickets.
Note:If the qualification is removed, the best career average record is at 0.00 runs per wicket (i.e. no runs were conceded). This record is shared by EnglishmenA N Hornby,Wilf Barberand New Zealander,Bruce Murraywho took one wicket without conceding a run[89]
^John Ferris was one of a few cricketers to playTest cricketfor more than one country. He played in eight Tests for Australia from 1886–87 and a single Test for England in South Africa in 1891–92.[87]
^abJim Laker achieved figures of 9-37 and 10-53 in the same Test match in 1956 against Australia at Old Trafford, in first and second innings respectively.[94]
Best figures in an innings – progression of record
Notes:Alan Davidson (Australia), in the tied 1st Test at Brisbane against the West Indies in 1960-61, was the first man to score 100 runs and take 10 wickets in a match (and is the only other player to achieve this so far), but without a century: his two scores with the bat were 44 and 80, in addition to 11 wickets (5/135 and 6/87).
Betty Wilsonwas the first player to do it in 1958. She scored 100 and was 11/18.Enid Bakewellmade this milestone the year before Botham.[105]
^abBotham and Imran only batted once in their matches.
^Shakib batted twice in his match, but only scored 6 in the other innings.
Most 5 wickets in an innings and a century in the same Test match
An asterisk (*) signifies an unbroken partnership (i.e. neither of the batsmen was dismissed before either the end of the allotted overs or the required score being reached).
An asterisk (*) signifies an unbroken partnership (i.e. neither of the batsmen was dismissed before either the end of the allotted overs or the required score being reached).
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
England
India
Ireland
New Zealand
Pakistan
South Africa
Sri Lanka
West Indies
Zimbabwe
South Africa(205 & 171)
South Africa(v
South Africa(v
