The hardest format in the game of cricket demands the highest quality and produces the toughest players. The dominance of a team in a test is very much dependent on the captain itself. Captaining a test side is much harder and different from the ones in ODIs and T20s. It’s not about controlling power plays like the limited-overs cricket, it’s about controlling sessions for being at the top after the end of the day’s play. In the history of test cricket, many captains have proved their worth and showed glimpses of an ideal skipper. Let us take a look at those special six players who have the most tons as captain.
Top 6 players with most centuries as captain in Test cricket
6. Don Bradman:
Image – Gladstone Observer
99.94 is a popular number when one talks about Sir Don Bradman because it’s an average no player could ever reach. But little do they know his average as a captain was 101.52 in 24 tests. The numbers are unbelievable, he had 14 centuries and four double centuries under his belt as a captain.
Sir Don Bradman as a captain
| Matches | 24 |
| Innings | 38 |
| Runs | 3,147 |
| Average | 101.52 |
| 50’s | 8 |
| 100’s | 14 |
Also read: Cricket records: Most runs in Southampton cricket ground
5. Steve Smith:
Image – ICC Cricket
One of the members of the fab 4 who has impressed everyone in recent times has made his way to no. 5 in this list. The leg spinner turned batsman has achieved incredible heights in this format of the game. The transition is unbelievable, from being a spinner to a world no. 1 with the bat with an unorthodox batting style is a huge turnaround of events. The Aussie star has 15 tons as a captain in test cricket with an average of 70.37 in 34 matches. Although he can’t build upon these stats anymore as he is removed from captaincy after the sandpaper gate incident in 2018.
Steve Smith as a captain
| Matches | 34 |
| Innings | 60 |
| Runs | 3,659 |
| Average | 70.37 |
| 50’s | 13 |
| 100’s | 15 |
4. Steve Waugh:
Image – ESPNcricinfo
One of the most important personalities in the history of Cricket Australia features at no. 4 in the list. He’s probably one of the greatest captains in history. During his reign Australia touched new heights, he built the team which will later go and conquer the whole world under Ricky Ponting. Steve Waugh scored 15 tons in 57 matches with an average of 52.31. Australia created the world record of Winning 16 test matches in a row (the most by any captain in history) under Steve Waugh’s captaincy. Waugh also has a winning percentage of 72 which is the highest among any captains in history.
Steve Waugh as Captain
| Matches | 57 |
| Innings | 83 |
| Runs | 3,714 |
| Average | 52.31 |
| 50’s | 10 |
| 100’s | 15 |
Also read: Most successful captains in Test cricket
3. Ricky Ponting:
Image – Cricket Australia
One of the most successful captains in history features at no. 3 in the list. The brilliant batsman left his mark everywhere he went. Ricky Ponting has averaged over 50 as captain in 77 test matches which is also the second-most by any player in history. In his 77 matches as captain, the Australian has made 19 tons.
Ricky Ponting as Captain
| Matches | 77 |
| Innings | 140 |
| Runs | 6,542 |
| Average | 51.51 |
| 50’s | 35 |
| 100’s | 19 |
2. Virat Kohli*:
Image – ICC Cricket
Arguably, the best player in the world Virat Kohli has captained a total of 60* matches till now. At 32, Kohli is already India’s most successful captain in Test cricket with 36 wins. Virat is a class apart from others when it comes to batting. Kohli has already scored 20 tons as a captain in tests which is the second-highest in the world and still has many years of his game left. By the time he leaves cricket, we are pretty sure that he will top this list.
Virat Kohli as Captain
| Matches | 60 |
| Runs | 5,392 |
| Average | 59.25 |
| 50’s | 15 |
| 100’s | 20 |
Also read: 8 unknown Test Cricket Rules and their explanations
1. Graeme Smith:
Image – TheNational
The most successful captain in Cricket South Africa’s history is Graeme Smith. The left-handed South African features at no. 1 in this list with 25 tons to his name as a captain. Although South Africa didn’t manage to win a major ICC tournament, they were not a team to reckon with under him. During RSA’s test winning streak, they were a nightmare for every team. Graeme Smith was handed the captaincy at the age of 22. He has captained South Africa in 109 test matches and led his team to victories in 53 of those, so far it’s the highest by any captain in history to lead a side into the victories.
Graeme Smith as Captain
| Matches | 109 |
| Innings | 190 |
| Runs | 8,659 |
| Average | 47.84 |
| 50’s | 36 |
| 100’s | 25 |
