Test matches are the ultimate format of the game. It tests your patience towards the game day by day. Moreover, it examines a player's game read and a captain's leadership skills each day. Meanwhile, the Indian cricket team is ending 2023 by playing the first test match of the 2-match test series against South Africa. On Day 1 of the first test match, Virat Kohli surpassed Rohit Sharma in terms of scoring the most runs in WTC for India. Here are the top 3 batmen with most runs in the World Test Championship for India.

Also Read: South Africa vs India 1st Test Day 1 Highlights: Kl Rahul's half-century rescues India from Rabada

Most Runs in WTC for India

1. Virat Kohli – 2101 Runs

Virat Kohli has struggled to get going in the middle but still is the highest run-scorer for India in WTC. He has scored 2101 runs in 35 matches and has an average of 38.90. He has four centuries and nine half-centuries to his name and in the ongoing South Africa series, the cricketer will be eager to extend his numbers.

2. Rohit Sharma – 2097 Runs

India skipper Rohit Sharma has scored 2097 runs in 26 matches so far in the World Test Championship. He has been one of the most consistent performers as he has an average of 52.42 and has hit seven centuries and six half-centuries in the last four years.

3. Cheteshwar Pujara – 1769 Runs

Pujara was brilliant and consistent at first but then lost his rhythm but still stands third on this list. He has played 35 matches in the World Test Championship so far, scoring 1769 runs in the process. He has a batting average of 29.98 and has hit one century and 15 half-centuries. He hasn't been included in the ongoing South Africa series and it's looking like BCCI will not consider him in the future as well.

Most runs for India in World Test Championship (Top Five):

• Virat Kohli – 2101 runs

• Rohit Sharma – 2097 runs

• Cheteshwar Pujara – 1769 runs

• Ajinkya Rahane – 1589 runs

• Rishabh Pant – 1575 runs

Winning the Player of the Match (POTM) award is one of the biggest individual honours in cricket. It is given to the player who makes the most impact in a match—whether through batting, bowling, fielding, or an all-round performance. Over the years, many legends have dominated world cricket, but only a few have consistently delivered match-winning performances on home soil.

With his 52nd ODI hundred, Virat Kohli clinched his 32nd POTM award on home soil in international cricket, a new record surpassing the tallies of Jacques Kallis and Sachin Tendulkar.

Let's have a look at the batters with Most POTM Awards at Home in International Cricket.

Also Read: India vs South Africa ODIs: Who has scored the most runs in this fixture? Top 5 list

Most POTM Awards at Home in International Cricket

4. Ricky Ponting | 25

Former Australian top order batting star Ricky Ponting is at the sixth place. Ponting had won 49 Player of the Match awards during his career, out of which 25 came in Australian soil. One of the modern masters of cricket, Ricky Ponting was a part of the most dominating Australian teams ever. He himself captained what can be certainly is the best team to play cricket for 10 years. Ponting currently is third in the list of most test runs and most test centuries.

3. Sachin Tendulkar | 31

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar comes third on this list winning the Player of the Match award 31 times on Indian soil during his career. Sachin has also record for most Player of the Match awards (70) in international cricket. The God of cricket has 100 international centuries and is the leading run-scorer in international cricket with 34,357 runs.

2. Jacques Kallis | 31

Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis also won the POTM award at home, winning it 31 times. He is fourth on the overall list (57). While there are great cricketers whose contributions can’t be justified by mere numbers, Kallis isn’t one of them. He boasts of being the only player to retire with 20,000+ international runs, 500+ wickets and 300+ catches.

Kallis still has the most Man-of-the-Match awards in Tests, with 23 awards to his name.

Also Read: India under Gautam Gambhir coaching

1. Virat Kohli | 32

India star batter Virat Kohli played a sensational knock of 135 in the first ODI of the three-match series against South Africa. With this inning, he brought up his 83rd hundred in international cricket and his 52nd ton in the one-day format. Kohli was adjudged the Player of the Match for his phenomenal hundred and this was the 70th time that he was handed the award in international cricket. 

This was also Kohli's 32nd POTM award at home. With this, he shattered an all-time record of most POTM awards at home, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Jacques Kallis.

The Indian cricket team is gearing up for a crucial three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting November 30, 2025. The white-ball leg brings massive excitement as the iconic duo Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make their much-awaited comeback to the ODI setup after a break. With regular opener Shubman Gill ruled out due to a neck injury, KL Rahul has been handed the responsibility to captain the Men in Blue.

Following a disappointing Test whitewash earlier in the tour, India will be determined to bounce back and assert dominance against a side they recently overcame in the dramatic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2025 final.

So, before the India vs South Africa ODI series to begin, let's take a look at the top 5 batters with the most runs in India vs South Africa ODIs.

Also Read: Result of every India vs South Africa ODI series

Most Runs in India vs South Africa ODIs | Top 5 List

1. Sachin Tendulkar | 2001 Runs

Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for most runs in ODIs between India vs South Africa. He scored 2001 runs in 57 matches against the Proteas, the only one with over 2,000 runs in this storied rivalry, averaging 35.73. During this period, Sachin scored five centuries and eight half-centuries, including an unbeaten 200-run innings. He was a part of India vs South Africa rivalry from 1991 to 2011, scoring 1453 runs in South Africa alone.

2. Jacques Kallis | 1535 Runs

Jacques Kallis is South Africa's leading run-scorer against India. In 34 innings, Kallis scored 1535 runs, including two centuries and 11 half-centuries. Kallis played his last ODI against India in 2013. Out of the 17 hundreds he scored in ODI cricket, Jacques Kallis got two of them against India. To sum up, Kallis remains South Africa’s most productive ODI batter against India even since a decade of his retirement from the game.

3. Virat Kohli | 1504 Runs

Indian run-machine Virat Kohli's bat always speaks against South Africa. In 29 innings, Virat has scored 1504 runs against South Africa, averaging over 65, the highest among all India vs South Africa ODI players with more than 300 runs to their names. He has scored five centuries and eight half-centuries against South Africa. Kohli made 558 of his 1504 in a single away series against South Africa back in 2018, where his three match-winning hundreds engineered India’s 5-1 series win. Moreover, Kohli’s 558-run tally from that tour remains the highest aggregate by any batter in a single bilateral series by a landslide.

4. Gary Kirsten | 1377 Runs

Former South African opener Gary Kirsten has served as the head coach of the Indian team, lifting the 2011 World Cup. He has played 26 ODIs against India between the years 1995 to 2001, scoring 1,377 runs at an average of 62.59. He scored nine half-centuries and four centuries. His highest score against India was 133* which came in Johannesburg back in October 2001 in the opening match of the 2001 South Africa ODI tri-series.

Also Read: India under Gautam Gambhir coaching

5. AB de Villiers | 1357 Runs

In 32 matches, AB de Villiers scored 1357 runs against India at an average of 48.46. De Villiers also holds the record for most sixes in ODIs between the two teams, with 41. Among all players in India vs South Africa ODI matches, no batter has scored his runs even remotely close to the strike rate of 111.13. He got six hundreds against India, including three in a single series from 2015, where he scored 358 runs at an average of 89.50.

After winning the T20 World Cup last year, in July, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of the Indian team in place of Rahul Dravid. Since then India have won seven Tests, lost 10 and drawn two under Gautam Gambhir coaching. Again all focus has shifted to him once again after the team's embarrassing defeat in the second Test by 408 runs under his coaching as South Africa completed a 2-0 clean sweep at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday. India were bowled out for 140 runs in their second innings while chasing the 548-run target. After this, India endured its second home Test series defeat under head coach Gautam Gambhir.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni: Comparison in Test cricket

Fifth Test defeat at home in the last nine games

The team is in bad shape under Gambhir's coaching as India is going through a challenging transition phase, this was their fifth Test defeat at home in the last nine games. Under Gambhir, India witnessed a new low last year when they lost a Test series for the first time in 12 years after New Zealand thrashed them 3-0. The defeat was also first for India at home under new skipper Shubman Gill, who took over the captaincy role following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

India lost to Sri Lanka after 18 years

Last year, in July-August, the Indian team went on a tour of Sri Lanka. This was India's first series after Gautam Gambhir became the coach. After winning the T20 World Cup, India's youth team had reached Sri Lanka.

India then had to face 0-2 defeat in the ODI series. After 18 years, the Indian team had lost to Sri Lanka in a bilateral series.

Embarrassing defeat in front of New Zealand

When the New Zealand came to India last year, everyone must have felt in the beginning that by winning this series easily, we will present a strong claim for the World Test Championship final.

On the contrary, India lost 0-3 in this series. This was the first time since 2012 that India lost a Test series at home. New Zealand not only defeated India but also whitewashed them.

Also Read: Most five-wicket hauls in Test cricket by an Indian bowler

Lost Border Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years

Team India had been winning the Border Gavaskar Trophy continuously for the last 10 years. They defeated the Kangaroos in four consecutive series. During this period, Australia was defeated twice at their own home. India also got the good fortune of defeating Australia in Gabba after almost 30 years.

Now this victory chariot of India has broken under the coaching of Gautam Gambhir. The last time Australia won the Test series against India was in the year 2014-15.

Let's take a look at India's result under Gautam Gambhir's coaching.

India's T20I record under Gautam Gambhir coaching

Matches: 26, Won: 20, Lost: 3, NR: 3

• Sri Lanka vs India (3 T20Is): India won 2-0
• India vs Bangladesh (3 T20Is): India won by 3-0
• South Africa vs India (4 T20Is): India won by 3-1
• India vs England (5 T20Is): India won by 4-1
• Asia Cup 2025 (6 T20Is): India won Asia Cup by beating Pakistan in the final
• Australia vs India (5 T20Is): India won 2-1

India's ODI record under Gautam Gambhir coaching

Matches: 14, Won: 9, Lost: 4, NR: 1

• Sri Lanka vs India (3 ODIs): India lost 0-2
• India vs England (3 ODIs): India won 3-0
• ICC Champions Trophy 2025 (5 ODIs): India won CT 2025 by beating New Zealand in the final
• Australia vs India (3 ODIs): India lost 1-2

India's Test record under Gautam Gambhir coaching

Matches: 18, Won: 7, Lost: 9, NR: 2

• India vs Bangladesh (2 Tests): India won 2-0
• India vs New Zealand (3 Tests): India lost 0-3
• Australia vs India (5 Tests): India lost 1-3
• England vs India (5 Tests): Series Drawn by 2-2
• India vs West Indies (2 Tests): India won 2-0
• India vs South Africa (2 Tests): India lost 0-2

South African all-rounder Marco Jansen continued his dream Test match in the India vs South Africa 2nd Test in Guwahati as he followed up a brilliant 93-ball 91 with a destructive spell of fast bowling that shattered the Indian batting lineup. Jansen finished with figures of 6/48, putting South Africa in complete control while also entering a series of elite statistical lists. His six-wicket haul is also now one of the best by a South African fast bowler in India, ranking behind Lance Klusener’s 8/64 in Kolkata in 1996 and Dale Steyn’s 7/51 in Nagpur in 2010.

In this article, we will take a look at the best figures for a left arm pacer against India in India in Tests.

Also Read: India under Gautam Gambhir coaching

Best figures for a left arm pacer against India in India in Tests

4. Marco Jansen (SA), Guwahati, 2025 | 6/48*

As mentioned, Jansen is the latest entrant on this elite list. He is the only other left-arm pacer with a Test six-fer in India. According to stats, Jansen now has the third-best innings figures for a South African pacer in Tests in India. He also became the third left-arm pacer to record a Test fifer in India since 1988.

3. Alan Davidson (AUS), Kanpur, 1959 | 7/93

Two decades before the aforementioned match, India claimed a similar win over Australia at the same venue. This time, the Aussies were bowled out for 105 in an attempt to chase down 225. However, Alan Davidson kept Australia alive by taking seven wickets in the second innings. His 7/93 (57.3 overs) bowled India out for 291. The former seamer earlier took a fifer.

2. Geoff Dymock (AUS), Kanpur, 1979 | 7/67

The second spot is occupied by the former Australian pacer Geoff Dymock. Although Australia lost the Test by 153 runs, Dymock's second-innings seven-wicket haul entered the record books. The former left-arm seamer, who took a fifer in the first innings, followed it up with a record 7/67 in the second. However, Australia perished for 125 while chasing 279.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni: Comparison in Test cricket

1. John Lever (ENG), Delhi, 1976 | 7/46

England's John Lever tops this elite list of best figures for a left arm pacer against India in India in Tests. England tean, led by Tony Greig, hammered India in the 1976 Delhi Test by an innings and 25 runs. Dennis Amiss's historic 179 powered England to 381 in their only innings. India, who received a follow-on, perished for 122 and 234. The first innings was marked by John Lever's brilliance as he took seven wickets for 46 runs (23 overs).

Certain cricket venues are renowned for providing seam, swing, and bounce, while others offer a significant amount of turn. The playing conditions and pitch characteristics have a profound impact on the outcome of the game. In the rich history of cricket, there have been instances where Test matches concluded within a remarkably short span of 3-4 sessions or even less.

In this article, we will take a look at the 5 Shortest Test matches in cricket history (by balls bowled).

Also Read: When was the last time an Ashes Test finished in two days?

5 Shortest Test matches in cricket history

1. West Indies vs England (2009) | 10 Balls

The Antigua Test between West Indies and England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium was abandoned after just 10 balls on February 13, 2009. The match was called-off because of poor field conditions as the bowlers failed to get any solid footholds during their run-up.

2. West Indies vs England (1998) | 61 Balls

Another shortest Test matches in the history of cricket was held between West Indies and England in Sabina Park, Jamaica in 1998. The match was abandoned after just 61 deliveries because of the unsafe nature of the pitch. It was the first time in the 121-year-long history of Test cricket that a match had to be abandoned due to the nature of the pitch.

3. Sri Lanka vs India (1993) | 72 Balls

The 1993 test match between Sri Lanka and India that was completed in 72 balls was the first test in Kandy, which ended in a draw due to rain. Only 12 overs and 49 minutes of play were possible on day two, making it the shortest Test match at the time. India won the toss and chose to field, but heavy rain prevented any play on days 1, 3, 4, and 5.

4. England vs Australia (1926) | 104 Balls

The fourth shortest test match ever played took place at Trent Bridge on June 12, 1926 as England and Australia battled it out for 50 minutes. Only 17.2 overs (104 balls) were played, and England won the game with a score of 32-0.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni: Comparison in Test cricket

5. West Indies vs India (2016) | 132 Balls

The fifth shortest test match ever played took place at Trinidad on August 18, 2016 as West Indies and India battled it out for 22 overs. West Indies, who won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a good batting track, were 62 for two when it began pouring, forcing the players back into the hut.

After a 15-minute spell in the pre-lunch session which caused large puddles to come up on the pitch cover, rain stopped to raise hopes of an early resumption. But it came back soon and stayed put for more than an hour. The umpires had no option but call off play for the day at about two pm local time. Only 22 overs were possible on the day.