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Fastest Century for England in Test Matches

England batter Jonny Baistrow scored the second-fastest century for England in Tests when he reached the milestone in just 77 balls against New Zealand

Jun 16, 2022, 7:16 AM2 min read

Fastest Century for England in Test Matches

In the second test against New Zealand, Jonny Bairstow slammed a hundred to help England to secure a 2-0 lead in the three-match test series. Bairstow scored 136 off just 92 balls while skipper Ben Stokes hammered 75 off 70 balls to chase down the target of 299 runs in just inside 50 overs.

Fastest Century for England in Test Matches | SportzPoint.com
Jonny Bairstow after reaching the milestone in just 77 balls
Image - News9

Also Read: England has been fined 40% of their match fees and docked 2 Points from WTC Table

Meanwhile, Bairstow's 77-ball century becomes the second-fastest century for England in test matches. The record of the fastest century is being held by former England legend Gilbert Jessop, who slammed it in 76 balls against Australia back in 1902.

Moreover, England captain Ben Stokes is in the third place on the list as he slammed 85 ball century back in 2015 against New Zealand at Lord's. Bairstow's innings includes 14 fours and 7 sixes and played with a huge strike rate of 147.83 in the game.

Let's have a look at the players with the Fastest century for England in Test matches.

Fastest Century for England in Test Matches

Serial No. Player Balls taken Opponent Venue Year
1. Gilbert Jessop 76 Australia The Oval 1902
2. Jonny Bairstow 77 New Zealand Trent Bridge 2022
3. Ben Stokes 85 New Zealand Lord's 2015
4. Ian Botham 86 Australia Old Trafford 1981

Read Also: Quickest test century in Ashes history

Fastest Century for England in Test Matches | SportzPoint.com

N.B: Last Updated on 16/06/2022.

The third and final Test will be played at Headingley from June 23 onwards.

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Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

Let's take a look at the statistics of the Fav Four in Test cricket.

May 12, 2025, 1:24 PM3 min read

Fav four in Test cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith stats in Tests

Cricket, a sport loved by millions around the world, has witnessed the rise of several legendary players. In the modern era, four exceptional batsmen have stood out with their consistent brilliance, earning them the title of the “Fab Four players.” Their performances are often compared under the widely discussed Fab four Stats.

These iconic cricketers – Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Steve Smith have set new benchmarks for batting excellence across formats. 

Virat Kohli recently announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier today (May 12) with a post on his official Instagram handle. He ended his 14-year illustrious career in the format.

In this article, we will take a closer look at their remarkable careers, comparing their updated statistics and achievements to understand what makes them the finest batsmen of the modern era in Test cricket. 

Also Read: Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

So, let's take a look at the statistics of the Fav Four in Test cricket.

Fav four in Test cricket | Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith

Test cricket, often considered the ultimate test of a player’s skill and temperament, has seen these four players shine brightly. Here’s how they stack up in the longest format.

Virat Kohli's peak in Test cricket arrived well before the likes of Joe Root and Kane Williamson. Steve Smith matched him toe to toe during that period, but the 12-month ban due to the sandpaper gate overshadowed his brilliance in the format. 

However, when we compare the numbers of Fab four in 2025, Kohli has fallen way behind his contemporaries. Root is at the peak of his powers in Test cricket in the last five years while Williamson has never really been out of form in the whites.

Smith has been on and off over the last couple of years, but his form has never been a concern for Australia in Tests. When it comes to runs, averages and centuries, Kohli ranks last among Fab four and a lot of it has to do with his downfall in the format since November 2019.

Also Read: Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Here is a comparison of Fav four in Test cricket.

Player Mat Inns Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s
Virat Kohli 123 210 9230 254* 46.85 55.57 30 31
Joe Root 152 278 12972 262 50.87 57.47 36 65
Kane Williamson 105 186 9276 251 54.88 51.78 33 37
Steve Smith 116 206 10271 239 56.74 53.56 36 41

Fav four in Test cricket | How Kohli finished in Tests compared to Fab four

It is certain that Virat Kohli, who was once untouchable in the debate of Fab Four, will remain at the bottom forever when compared to his contemporaries. Only if his form hadn't dropped after November 2019, the 36-year-old, today, has stepped down from the format with some unreal numbers.

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Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Virat Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket after playing the format for 14 odd years. So let's take a look at Sachin vs Kohli stats comparison in Test cricket.

May 12, 2025, 12:18 PM4 min read

Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are two such names in Test cricket who have taken Indian cricket to new heights. While Sachin is called the 'God of Cricket', Virat has proved himself to be the greatest batsman of the modern era with his aggressive style and consistency.

Kohli has announced his retirement from Test cricket after playing the format for 14 odd years. Kohli, also the former Test captain of India, made his debut in the format in 2011, and since then he had been India's main man in the red ball format.

Also Read: Virat Kohli in Tests: In Numbers

So let's take a look at Sachin vs Kohli stats comparison in Test cricket.

Tendulkar's Test career

Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar played his first test match in 1989 against Pakistan. He played 200 test matches for the Indian cricket team, in which he remained unbeaten 33 times in 329 innings and managed to score 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78. He scored 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries. Tendulkar's best score in Test cricket was 248* runs. Sachin played his last Test match in the year 2013.

200 329 15921 248* 53.78 51 68
Mat Inns Runs HS Ave 100s 50s

Kohli's Test Career

Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Kohli played his first Test match in 2011 against West Indies. He was last seen playing against the Australia in January 2025. He scored 9,230 runs in 210 innings of 123 matches at an average of 46.85. He scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries from his bat. Kohli's best score has been 254*. During this period, Kohli also remained unbeaten in 13 innings.

123 210 9230 254* 46.85 55.57 30 31
Mat Inns Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s

Sachin vs Kohli | Stats at number four

Tendulkar played 177 Test matches for India at number four. He was successful in scoring 13,492 runs in 275 innings at an average of 54.40. He scored 44 centuries and 58 half-centuries. His best score was 248*.

Kohli managed to score 7,564 runs at an average of 50.09 in 160 innings of 98 matches at number four. He scored 26 centuries and 21 half-centuries. His best score was 254* runs.

Sachin vs Kohli | Stats as a captain

Sachin vs Kohli: Stats Comparison in Test Cricket

Tendulkar captained India in 25 Test matches. The team won 4 matches and lost 9 matches. 12 matches were drawn. His winning percentage was 30.76.

Kohli captained the Indian team in 68 matches. The team won 40 matches and lost 17 matches. 11 matches were drawn. Kohli's winning percentage was 70.17.

Sachin vs Kohli | Most Test matches

This is one record that will be very hard to break for anybody. Let's just say that at this moment in time, it looks impossible to break Sachin Tendulkar's record for most Test matches.

Often regarded as the 'God of Cricket', Sachin Tendulkar played 200 Test matches in his illustrious career, whereas Virat Kohli ends his career with 123 Test matches.

Also Read: Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

Sachin vs Kohli | Most centuries

This is one record that Kohli was expected to break, but unfortunately, he did fall short of going past Sachin Tendulkar. But this does not take away the fact that Kohli is an all-time great and is one of the geniuses that the game has ever seen.

Sachin Tendulkar has 51 Test hundreds to his name, whereas Kohli ends his career with 30 Test hundreds.

Sachin vs Kohli | Most Test Runs

Kohli and Sachin, they have scored runs around the globe and in all conditions. This makes them two greats to have ever played the game. Sachin ended his Test career with 15,921 runs, whereas Kohli called time on his career after scoring 9,230 runs.

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"End of an era": Cricketing world reacts to Virat Kohli's test retirement

Virat Kohli's unexpected retirement from test cricket is met with sadness across the world. It truly feels like end of an era as we see the King go. Check out how the cricketing world reacts to Virat Kohli's test retirement.

May 12, 2025, 11:02 AM4 min read

"End of an era": Cricketing world reacts to Virat Kohli's test retirement | sportzpoint.com

Virat Kohli has left a void in Test cricket as he decided to conclude his journey in whites. His entire test career was like gifted moments of immense pride for India. His commitment, influence on team culture, fitness standards, and aggresive approach to the game had a transformative impact on test cricket.

Today, the world bows down to the king as he steps down the throne. See how the cricketing world reacts to Virat Kohli's test retirement.

"It's not easy.. but it feels right": Says Kohli on his retirement post

On 12th May, 2025, Virat Kohli shared a heartfelt post on Instagram, announcing his retirement from the test format. Fans express how his retirement from the T20Is was understandable, but this feels different like a personal loss.

Virat ending the caption with "I will always look back at my Test career with a smile" is something that the whole nation can connect to, with waves of emotions.

A chorus of reactions: the cricketing world reacts to Virat Kohli's test retirement 

From heartwarming messages to showing respect and admiration for his huge contribution in Tests, the emotions have been overflowing through social media platforms.

Here's what the cricketing world has to say about the King's decision to step away.

Indian cricketers on Kohli's legacy 

Former cricketers like Harbhajan Singh, Suresh Raina, Ravi Shastri, as well as Virat's current teammates have penned down their thoughts on his retirement.

"A man with lion's passion," says the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Axar Patel, Rishabh Pant and others on twitter. "Legend retires, legacy remains," added Axar Patel on his tweet.

Cricketers worldwide on Kohli's test exit

From his closest mate AB de Villiers to Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya, every cricketer across the world has something to say about this!

The former England cricketer, Kevin Pietersen's astonished reaction to Virat's retirement decision.

Read Also: Virat Kohli in Tests: In Numbers

Anushka Sharma reflects on Virat's time in Test cricket 

Through the highs and lows of his career, there has been one constant support of his wife, Anushka Sharma, who has now shared her thoughts on Virat Kohli's test retirement.

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Virat Kohli in Tests: In Numbers

According to media reports, Kohli has decided to retire and has told the board that he is saying goodbye to Test cricket. Let's take a look at the performance of Virat Kohli in Tests.

May 12, 2025, 9:36 AM4 min read

Virat Kohli in Tests: In Numbers

Virat Kohli has decided to retire from Test cricket. He has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about this. However, BCCI has asked him to consider his decision. Earlier on Thursday, Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from Test cricket through a social media post.

According to media reports, Kohli has decided to retire and has told the board that he is saying goodbye to Test cricket. BCCI asked him to think again as an important tour of England is coming up. At present, he has not responded to BCCI's statement.

Also Read: Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

Let's take a look at the performance of Virat Kohli in Tests.

Scored less than 25 average in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Virat's performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was not good. He scored runs at an average of 23.75 in this series. He got out on a ball outside the off stump 7 times out of 8. In BGT, Kohli scored 190 runs in 9 innings including an unbeaten century.

In the last 5 years, he scored only 3 centuries in 37 Tests and his average was below 35. Earlier, Kohli had retired from T20I cricket, but he was in tremendous form in IPL 2025. He has scored 505 runs in 11 matches so far.

Kohli's performance in BGT 2024-2025

Matches First Innings  Second Innings 
First Match 5 100*
Second Match 7 11
Third Match 3 Batting did not come
Fourth Match 36 5
Fifth Match  17 6

Virat Kohli in Tests | Career so Far

Virat Kohli in Tests: In Numbers

36-year-old Kohli has scored 9,230 runs in 123 Tests so far. He has also scored 30 centuries and 31 half-centuries in his innings.

Debut Match Innings Runs 100 50
2011 123 210 9230 30 31

Kohli scored most centuries against Australia

Virat Kohli in Tests: In Numbers

Virat Kohli has scored 30 centuries in his Test career. Out of these, he has scored the most number of centuries i.e. 9 against Australia. Whereas he has scored the least number of centuries i.e. 2 against Bangladesh.

Teams Century 
Australia  9
England  5
Sri Lanka  5
New Zealand  3
South Africa 3
West Indies  3
Bangladesh 2

Kohli scored most centuries in his Test career in Indian soil

Kohli has scored 30 centuries in Tests. Out of these, he has scored the most 14 centuries in India. He has scored only one century in New Zealand.

Country Century
India 14
Australia  7
England 2
South Africa  2
Sri Lanka 2
West Indies  2
New Zealand 1

Kohli was better captain than Rohit and Dhoni in Tests

Virat Kohli in Tests: In Numbers

Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are the captains who have won ICC trophies for India. On the other hand, there is Virat Kohli. He has never been able to win an ICC tournament as a captain. However, when it comes to Test cricket, as a leader he seems miles ahead of both Dhoni and Rohit.

Under Rohit's captaincy, Team India even had to face a clean sweep from New Zealand. This never happened under Kohli's captaincy. He captained Team India in 11 Test series on Indian soil. India won all the 11 series.

Kohli captained for the first time on home ground against South Africa in 2015. With the support of Ashwin and Jadeja and Kohli's attacking field strategy, India won the 4 Test series 3-0. From here onwards, the team won all the Test series at home under Kohli's captaincy.

Kohli's captaincy in Tests (Home Tests)

Match Win Loss Draw
31 24 2 5

Kohli's captaincy in Tests (Away Tests)

Match Win Loss Draw
37 16 15 6

Also Read: Most successful Test captains from India

Scored 7 double centuries as captain

Batsman Virat Kohli gave his best performance under the presence of every captain, but when he himself became the captain, he turned all the shortcomings of Test batting into achievements. Kohli scored a record 7 double centuries under his own captaincy.

Kohli could not do much with the bat during the 2014 tour of England, but in 2018 he turned it around and became the top run scorer of the series. He scores runs every time in Australia, and he also scored a century in South Africa, which proved why ICC named him the best cricketer of the decade in 2020.

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Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

In this article, we will examine and compare the statistics of the Fab Four across all formats.

May 10, 2025, 11:33 AM4 min read

Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats | sportzpoint.com

If anyone has followed cricket casually over the last decade, they're likely familiar with four key names: former Indian captain Virat Kohli, batting genius Steve Smith, English great Joe Root, and New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer Kane Williamson.

They together are known as the 'Fab Four' in the modern era of cricket.

Each of them has set new benchmarks for performance, continually pushing one another to enhance their skills. These four batsmen have not only dominated the world of cricket but have also met the expectations of their respective nations.

In this article, we will examine the statistics of the Fab Four across all formats.

Fav Four in cricket: How many runs & centuries have they scored in International Cricket?

Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats | sportzpoint.com

Virat Kohli has been the most prolific all-format batter among the fav-four. Kohli, till now in his 550 international games, has scored 27,599 runs with an outstanding average of 52.27. His record of 82 international centuries is only second to Sachin Tendulkar's 100 international centuries.

Read Also | Most ICC Trophies by any men's team

Joe Root comes in second among them with 20,724 runs so far for England across formats. However, undoubtedly, he has been the best test batter of his generation with 12972 test runs, which sets him as the highest test run scorer for England. Root has also scored 53 international hundreds, of which 36 came in tests only.

Read Also | Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments (men's)

Kane Williamson, New Zealand's highest runscorer in international cricket, comes at number three in terms of international runs among the fav four. The former Kiwi leader has scored 19,086 runs so far in his career at an average of 48.56. Kane is now only two short of reaching 50 international hundreds. 

Read Also | Most Test runs in 2024: Root, Jaiswal, Duckett and more

Aussie great Steven Smith comes at four with 17,165 runs at an average of 47.81. A late bloomer with the bat, Smith has been outstanding for Australia in tests and ODIs. Along with Root, Smith has also been one of the greatest test batters of this generation.

Here is a comparison of international stats of the fav four. 

Player Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s Ct
Virat Kohli 550 617 89 27,599 254* 52.27 79.18 82 143 336
Joe Root 361 474 51 20,724 262 48.97 66.51 53 111 311
Kane Williamson 371 441 48 19,086 251 48.56 66.12 48 102 209
Steve Smith 353 415 56 17,165 239 47.81 64.26 48 81 331

Read Also: Most Wickets in Test Cricket

Fab Four in Cricket: Stats across different formats

Virat Kohli (IND)

Fab Four in Cricket: Stats across different formats

Format Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s Ct
Tests 123 210 13 9,230 254* 46.85 55.57 30 31 121
ODIs 302 290 45 14,181 183 57.88 93.34 51 74 161
T20Is 125 117 31 4,188 122* 48.69 137.04 1 38 54

Joe Root (ENG)

Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats

Format Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s Ct
Tests 152 278 23 12,972 262 50.87 57.47 36 65 207
ODIs 177 166 23 6,859 133* 47.96 87.03 17 41 86
T20Is 32 30 5 893 90* 35.72 126.30 0 5 18

Kane Williamson (NZ)

Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats | sportzpoint.com

Format Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s Ct
Tests 105 186 17 9,276 251 54.88 51.78 33 37 90
ODIs 173 165 18 7,235 148 49.21 81.72 15 47 74
T20Is 93 90 13 2,575 95 33.44 123.08 0 18 45

Steven Smith (AUS)

Fav four in cricket: Kohli vs Root vs Williamson vs Smith overall stats | sportzpoint.com

Format Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave SR 100s 50s Ct
Tests 116 206 25 10,271 239 56.74 53.56 36 41 200
ODIs 170 154 20 5,800 164 43.28 86.96 12 35 90
T20Is 67 55 11 1,094 90 24.86 125.45 0 5 41

Note: The article was initially written by Abishek Goswami and then got updated by Koushik Biswas

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