There is no limit to the responsibilities and roles played by the captain of a team. Starting from deciding the batting order bowling order position of the fielders to keeping a look at every part of the match, the captain needs to do all of these. Every decision made by a captain is very vital for the match and winning or losing the match is dependent a lot on the decisions made by the captain. Here's a table of the 8 most successful captains in Test cricket.
(Disclaimer: All of them have captained a minimum of 40 matches) There is no limit to the responsibilities and roles played by the captain of a team. Here's a table of the 8 most successful captains in Test cricket.

1. Steve Waugh

The former Australian captain is considered to be one of the greatest captains ever. It is said that he is the one who has transformed test cricket into something great. He knew the exact tricks to play on the opposition's weaknesses and use his strengths at that time. Under his captaincy 57 matches, Australia won 41 out of them. He has a winning percentage of 71.92%.

Read also: WTC stats: Most Runs in World Test Championship

2. Ricky Ponting

Another gem of the Australian Cricket team is Ricky Ponting. He is one of the most successful captains in the history of cricket. He is also the only cricketer who was a part of 100 test victories. Ponting was clearly one of the finest cricketers who showed his skills and aggressiveness on the field and won several matches. The great captain had a huge contribution in making Australia the most dominant cricket team. He won 48 matches in 77 Tests within a span of 6 years with a winning percentage of 62.3%.

3. Virat Kohli

The king of cricket and a nightmare of every bowler has also shown some amazing captaincy on the field. He is arguably one of the successful captains of the Indian cricket team and is often compared with legends like Ponting and Waugh. After MS Dhoni resigned from test cricket in 2014, Kohli was appointed the captain of the team and since then he did captaincy in 60 Test matches. In a span of 7 years, he has won 35 matches with a winning percentage of 60%.

Read also: Driven: The Virat Kohli Story

4. Michael Clarke

The skipper of the Australian Cricket team and one of the finest batsmen of his generation is the 4th most successful captain in Test Cricket. He is one of the three Australian captains to whitewash the England team with a 5-0 at the Ashes. He was the captain of 47 matches and with a winning percentage of 51.05%, he won 24 matches.

5. Michael Vaughn

The former captain of the England cricket team became the captain of the England Test team in July 2003. The decision of appointing him as a captain was a bit certain but as time passed he showed his caliber and made a national record of winning 26 matches in 51 tests with a winning percentage of 50.98%. He was the skipper in these 51 matches.

6. Joe Root

Joe Root is the current skipper of the England test cricket team. He became the captain of the Test team on 13 Feb 2017 after Alastair Cook was replaced. On his debut match as a captain, he smashed a century against South Africa and made 190 at the Lord's. Till now, he did the captaincy 51 matches and won 26 of them with a winning percentage of 50.98%.

Read also: WTC Stats: Most Wickets in the World Test Championship

7. Hansie Cronje

The late cricketer of the South African cricket team was appointed as the captain after Kepler Wessels got injured. He became the youngest captain of the South African test team but his initial captaincy career was quite unsuccessful. But over a few years, hay got into a better form and started winning matches for the team. He created a record of winning the most number of matches by a South African captain after winning 27 matches in 53 tests with a win percentage of 50.64%. In October 2000, he was banned from playing or coaching by the United Cricket Board because of the match-fixing.

8. Clive Lloyd

The first West Indies cricketer to win 100 test caps is none other than Clive Lloyd. He is one of the most successful captains of the West Indies cricket team. Clive had a great contribution in establishing the West Indies cricket team and putting it out to the world. In 1981, he was appointed as the captain and after that, he captained 26 tests and win 11 following matches with a winning percentage of 48.64%.

Hence the total stats looks like-

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.

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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.

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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.

Makeshift opener Travis Head scored an explosive 69-ball century to lead Australia to victory in the Ashes Test's first high-octane test on Saturday as England meekly surrendered at Perth Stadium. Chasing a 205 win, Head reached 123 as the hosts returned home eight wickets on day two in an electric start to the five-match series. Marnus Labuschagne was unbeaten at 51 and Steve Smith at two.

Also Read: Result of Every Ashes Series in the History

Last time an Ashes Test finished in two days

The contest only lasted two days, making it the shortest Test match on Australian soil since 1932. The first time an Ashes match has ended this quickly in more than a century. The last instance of a two-day finish between the rivals dates back to 1921 in Nottingham, where Australia had also emerged victorious.

Travball beats Bazball as Australia draw first blood in the Ashes!

The first two-day finish in an Ashes Test since 1921 😮

Scorecard: https://t.co/RFv9aTOydG pic.twitter.com/7EDCcE3y2y

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) November 22, 2025

Australia got the job done in just 28.2 overs

Chasing what appeared to be an awkward 205-run target victory, Australia got the job done in just 28.2 overs, ticking along at a blistering tempo of 7.24 runs per over. Head, elevated to opener in the absence of the injured Usman Khawaja, clobbered 16 boundaries and four sixes during his knock, combining with Marnus Labuschagne for a 117-run partnership for the second wicket.

Head passed triple figures in 69 deliveries

Head passed triple figures in just 69 deliveries, the equal third-fastest century by an Australian in Tests, a performance that will prompt speculation on whether he should stay at the top of the order for the remainder of the series. Nobody else in the match has managed more than 52, it was as though he was batting on a completely different pitch from the one that had just seen 30 wickets fall across five sessions.

Also Read: : Most Runs in Ashes History

Starc secure his first Ashes ten-for

Mitchell Starc, who had claimed 7 for 58 on the opening day, went on to take three more in the second innings to secure his first Ashes ten-for and only the third ten-wicket haul of his career. His early strike on day two, a diving caught-and-bowled to dismiss Zak Crawley to a pair, ignited the packed Perth crowd and signalled Australia’s intent.

There have been very few wicketkeepers in the Indian Test team who have also made a significant impact with the bat. Legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rishabh Pant have played the role of wicketkeeper-batsman adeptly in Test cricket, leading to frequent comparisons between the two. Now, the debate has once again begun as to who is the better in Test cricket between Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rishabh Pant. Here’s a comparison of Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni in the longest format of the game.

Also Read: Most Sixes in Test Cricket

Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni | Test Record

Rishabh Pant has better records than MS Dhoni in Test cricket. Pant has played 48 matches, scoring 3456 runs at an average of 43.74. Dhoni scored 4,876 runs in 90 matches at an average of 38.09. Dhoni had six centuries in Test cricket while Pant now has 8.

Rishabh Pant vs MS Dhoni | Wicketkeeping Record in Test

Both Rishabh Pant and MS Dhoni, apart from being exceptional batters for team India, have been just as impressive behind the stumps as well. After 90 Test matches, MS Dhoni had a total of 294 dismissals, where he did 38 stumpings and took 256 catches behind the stumps. On the other hand, Rishabh Pant, after 48 Tests has a total of 244 dismissals to his name that includes 15 stumpings and 158 catches as wicket keeper.

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Dhoni's stature in Indian cricket goes well beyond his contributions behind the stumps or with the bat. He led India to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy and was captain when the team first rose to the No.1 spot in the Test rankings in 2008. When asked about the comparisons, Pant made it clear that he is only concentrating on his own game.

the Ashes Test series between England and Australia is set to begin on November 21. Regular Australian captain Pat Cummins will not be part of the first Test as he is currently not fully fit. Steve Smith will replace Cummins in the opening match, while Ben Stokes will lead England. The first Test of the Ashes series will be played in Perth.

The countdown for this five-match series between England and Australia has begun, but before that, let us know the result of every Ashes series in the history.

Also Read: Most Wickets in Ashes History

The Ashes Series | Historical Overview

It may be surprising to know that the Ashes started with a condolence message published in a newspaper in 1882 which later became the symbol of cricket's greatest rivalry between Australia and England. This rivalry between these two countries over the Ashes is more than 100 years old. The Ashes series is one of the oldest and most prestigious rivalries in international sport, involving Test cricket competitions between Australia and England.

According to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the guardians of the laws of the game, the term 'Ashes' was first used in a satirical tribute article published in The Sporting Times in August 1882, When the England team lost to Australia on home soil for the first time.

The obituary stated that English cricket would be cremated and the Ashes would be taken to Australia. England captain Ivo Bligh toured Australia with his team later that year, vowing to bring back the Ashes.

After England's victory, a fan presented Bligh with a small terracotta urn to symbolize the Ashes, thus establishing an inextricable link between the Ashes and the urn. That same day, Bligh met his future wife.

The couple took the urn with them to England, and it remained with Bligh's family until his death. However, it was later handed over to the MCC. Thus began the Ashes series between England and Australia.

Last Ashes Series Results (2023)

The 2023 Ashes was one of the best series ever. Both teams won 2 matches each and 1 match was drawn. The series ended 2-2 in England. Australia won the first two matches very closely – by just 2 wickets at Birmingham and by 43 runs at Lord’s. Their bowlers did great work to defend small totals.

England came back strong in the last three matches. They won by 3 wickets at Leeds in a thrilling chase. The fourth match at Manchester was drawn when rain stopped play. In the final match at The Oval, England won by 49 runs to level the series. It was exciting cricket with close finishes in almost every match.

Also Read: : Most Runs in Ashes History

Result of Every Ashes Series (1882-2023)