Travis Head became the third joint-fastest to score an Ashes century. He is tied with Joe Darling. Adam Gilchrist and Gilbert Jessop take the top two positions
The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The first Ashes test has been organized by Cricket Australia in 1882-83.
The series traditionally consists of five Tests, hosted in turn by England and Australia at least once every two years. The Ashes are regarded as being held by the team that most recently won the series. If the series is drawn, the team that currently holds the Ashes retains the trophy.
There have been 71 Ashes series: Australia have won 33, England 32 and six series have been drawn.
Travis Head became the third joint-fastest to score an Ashes century. He is tied with Joe Darling. Adam Gilchrist and Gilbert Jessop take the top two positions. Now, let's take a look at the top 3 players with the quickest test century in the Ashes' history.
#1. Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 57 balls
Former Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist scored the second-fastest century in Test history, hitting 100 from 57 balls, including three sixes in a single over against English bowler Monty Panesar. However, usually batting at number seven in the Test side, Gilchrist scored centuries against all nine other Test nations.
Gilchrist smashed 102* runs in 59 balls including 12 fours & 4 sixes during his inning in Perth during the 2006-7 season.
England batsman Gilbert Jessop has the record for the second-fastest Ashes century in 76 balls in 1902. In the fifth test match of the 1902 Ashes series, Gilbert who was till then a fast bowler, scored the then-fastest Ashes century. That match is still named as "Jessop's match" for his remarkable hitting. Jessop scored his first 50 runs in 43 minutes and reached his century in 75 minutes after England were 48 for 5 needing 263 on the last day of the match. A newspaper managed to keep a detailed record of this one of the fastest test centuries in test cricket.
Travis Head has posted the third-fastest century in men's Ashes history with a remarkable counter-attacking effort late on day two of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane.
Playing his first Test almost a year after missing against India last summer. On 96, he looked to sweep and the ball lobbed up off the forearm, falling safely not far from wicketkeeper Jos Buttler. An over later he drove Chris Woakes beautifully down the ground to reach his hundred from just 85 balls.
Travis Head's hundred is also the fastest Test century at this ground. The previous fastest was off 102 balls by fellow countryman Joe Burns against New Zealand in 2015. Moreover, all of Travis Head's 112 runs came in the final session. He also became the first to score a Test century in a session at this ground.
The red-ball tournament initiative was taken by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2019. In this article, we will take a look at the batters with most runs in WTC history.
This is the third edition of the World Test Championship (WTC). The red-ball tournament initiative was taken by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2019. New Zealand were crowned the inaugural champions after beating India in 2021. Australia took the second championship in 2023, and earlier this year, South Africa joined the party.
In this article, we will take a look at the batters with most runs in WTC history.
Joe Root of England is on top in this list. He scored 6080 runs in WTC cycle at an average of 52.86 with 21 centuries and 22 fifties and also got out for a duck on eight occasions. Root's highest score in WTC is 262 which came against Pakistan in Multan. This knock took him above the 5000-run mark. He also smacked 625 fours and 17 sixes.
In July, this year, he surpassed cricket legends Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting to become the second-highest run-scorer in the history of Test cricket with 13,543 runs.
2. Steve Smith
Features second on this list. In 55 Test matches, Steve Smith has scored 4278 runs at an average of 49.74. His tally also includes 13 centuries and 19 half-centuries.
Smith also smashed a memorable innings of 211 runs against England during the 2019 Ashes series, which was part of the inaugural WTC cycle (2019–2021) and continues to be his highest score in the ICC World Test Championship.
3. Marnus Labuschagne
The star Australian middle-order batter, Marnus Labuschagne, is next on this list. He currently captains Queensland and plays for Glamorgan in county cricket and for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.
Lasbuschagne has played a total of 53 matches of the ICC World Test Championship and has scored a total of 4,225 runs at an average of 48.01 which includes 11 centuries and 22 half-centuries, establishing himself as one of the most dominant batsmen of the format. Lasbuschagne scored his highest WTC score of 215 runs against New Zealand during the 2019–2021 WTC cycle.
4. Ben Stokes
At the fourth spot in our list is English international cricketer Ben Stokes who is currently serving as skipper of the England test team. He has scored 3616 runs in 57 Test matches at an average of 37.66.
Often hailed as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of international cricket, Ben Stokes gathered immense fame and recognition from all over the world for scoring a record total of 1,334 runs in seventeen matched during the 2019-21 WTC cycle and a phenomenal total of 971 runs in eighteen matches during the 2021-23 WTC cycle.
Australia's explosive batter, Travis Head, is fifth on this list with 3300 runs in 52 Test matches at an average of 40.24. His tally also includes eight centuries and 15 half-centuries. He also holds the record for being the first player to win 10 Man of the Match awards in the World Test Championship.
In addition, Head joined the ranks of Joe Root, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith as the fourth player in World Test Championship history to surpass 400 boundaries. Head has managed 413 fours in just 87 innings.
Batters with the most international tons since 2020
There are some players who have scored the most centuries in international matches across formats - Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. In this article, we will take a look at those batters with the most international tons since 2020.
Scoring a century in international cricket is a special achievement that marks a player’s talent and consistency. Some players have a knack for reaching this milestone repeatedly. There are some players who have scored the most centuries in international matches across formats - Tests, ODIs, and T20Is.
In this article, we will take a look at those batters with the most international tons since 2020.
Joe Root just keeps proving why he is one of the best batters England has ever had. Smooth with the bat, calm under pressure, and always showing up when it matters, Root continues to be the backbone of England’s Test team.
Root smashed 25 international centuries since 2020. Root has been really successful in Test cricket in recent times. Since 2020, he has played 69 Test matches for England and has scored over 6000 runs, including 22 centuries and 21 half-centuries.
2. Shubman Gill | 19
Shubman Gill comes second on the list with 19 international centuries since 2020, including nine in Tests and eight in ODIs. His double hundred in ODIs against New Zealand and a classy 269 in Tests highlight his remarkable rise.
Ever since Gill took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma, the middle-order batter has been peeling off centuries for fun, with a sparkling 129 not out against West Indies in the ongoing 2nd Test in New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
3. Babar Azam | 16
Pakistan former skipper, Babar Azam is more than just a cricketer; he's a phenomenon, who commands the crease with his extraordinary skill and elegance. In his time as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team, he has led by example. But what sets him apart is his batting skills, particularly his ability to score centuries with a consistency.
Babar holds the third-most number of centuries in international cricket since 2020. Overall, Babar scored 31 centuries in international cricket - 19 ODI centuries, 9 test century, and 3 T20I centuries.
4. Kane Williamson | 14
Kane Williamson has established himself as one of the great batsmen across formats in the modern era. Since making his debut in 2010 for New Zealand, his performance at the international level has been nothing short of exemplary.
He stands currently at 4th on list list. Kane has notched up 14 international centuries since 2020 in Tests and ODIs. As a captain, he has led New Zealand to a World Test Championship title, apart from taking the team to an ICC World Cup and T20 World Cup final.
5. Steve Smith | 14
Steve Smith has established himself as one of the finest batters in modern cricket. In the post-Ponting era, Smith has been Australia's most prolific and consistent run-scorer, especially in the purest format of the game. Smith has 14 international centuries since 2020 to his name.
Overall, if we speak about the numbers in international cricket, he has 48 centuries to his name. The Test record for Smith is excellent, as he has scored 36 centuries in the format in 116 matches . On the other hand, in ODIs, the number of centuries for Smith is 12 in 170 matches. He is yet to score a hundred in the T20I format.
6. Travis Head | 13
Australia are yet to lose an international match when Travis Head has hit a century. He has also made a habit of scoring big whenever playing against the Indian side. Head smashed 13 international centuries since 2020, making him one of the consistent players.
Overall, Head has 16 international centuries to his name - 9 Test hundreds and 7 ODI hundreds. The first of the many centuries came up in the WTC finals in 2023, when he slammed a brilliant 163 and sealed the championship for Australia.
7. Virat Kohli | 12
Virat Kohli has 12 centuries since 2020, breaking his ODI drought with a ton vs Bangladesh in 2022. He also smashed his first T20I century in the Asia Cup 2022. Whether in Test matches, ODIs, T20Is, or the IPL, Kohli has proven his ability to deliver big performances when it matters most.
Recently, Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket, bringing an end to a remarkable red-ball career. Overall Kohli has 82 international centuries to his name - 30 in Test, 51 in ODI, and one in T20I.
Pathum Nissanka might not be the face on posters yet, but he's become the face of Sri Lanka's batting alright. The last two years have been so prolific, that he's an easy mention among the world's current best all-format batters.
Nissanka smashed 12 centuries in international cricket since 2020. His recent ton came during the Asia Cup 2025 playoff against India where he scored a brilliant 107 runs in 58 balls. With this, he surpassed Virat Kohli’s tally of four Asia Cup fifties, becoming the player with the most 50-plus scores in the tournament’s history.
Cricket Australia on Friday announced a 15-member squad for the upcoming Women's ODI World Cup 2025. The Australian team will enter the World Cup under the leadership of experienced wicketkeeper-batsman Alyssa Healy. Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux and allrounder Georgia Wareham have returned to the squad after recovering from injury.
The seven-time champion Australia is also the defending champion and will look to maintain its dominance in the upcoming competition. This tournament will be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka from September 30 to November 2.
Sophie Molineux has been out since January due to a knee injury. However, she will not be able to play in the three-match ODI series against India from 14 to 20 September. Darcie Brown and Georgia Wareham also returned to the squad from recent injuries.
Ten of the 15 members named featured in the previous edition of the tournament back in 2022, with skipper Alyssa Healy taking charge of the squad in her third Cricket World Cup.
Australia to begin campaign on October 1
The Australia also includes 10 players who were also part of the last tournament played in 2022. This team also includes experienced players like Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Tahlia McGrath and Ash Gardner. Australia will begin its campaign against New Zealand in Indore on October 1.
Australia will finalise its preparations for the mega event with three ODIs against hosts India from September 14-20 in New Chandigarh and New Dehli, before opening its Women's ODI World Cup 2025 campaign.
Australia will face each of the other seven nations across the round-robin format, with the top four sides progressing to the semi-finals on October 29 and 30. The Final will be played November 2.
Most Test centuries in the World Test Championship
Joe Root, with 21 test tons, has scored the most test centuries in the World Test Championship so far. Shubman Gill has entered the top 10 of the list recently.
The World Test Championship was started in 2019 to make Test cricket interesting. The Championship has changed the way Test Cricket is being played. Teams like England and India, along with Australia, have shown their aggressive brand of cricket.
South Africa are the current winner of the ICC World Test Championship. New Zealand and Australia have won the World Test Championships in the first two editions, while India played the final on both occasions.
Here are the players with the most Test centuries in the World Test Championship.
1. Joe Root | 21
Root dedicated his 21st century on WTC to former England keeper Graham Thorpe. Image | ICC
England's Joe Root has the most Test centuries in the World Test Championship. So far, he has scored 21 centuries in 126 innings of 69 matches. Root is also the batsman who has scored the most runs in this tournament, with6080 runs at an average of 52.86.
Till now, Root is the only batter to score more than 6000 runs in WTC history.
His best knock came against India in 2021 when he scored 228 in Chennai to help his side win the game.
Australia's Steve Smithhas now scored the most test centuries in the World Test Championship. The Aussie top-order batter has been one of the best test batters of this generation and has scored runs all around the world.
Smith is known for his unorthodox and yet effective batting style, which keeps on annoying the opponent's bowling lineups.
Till now in WTC, Steve Smith has scored 4225 runs at an outstanding average of 50.29, including 13 test centuries.
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne has scored 11 centuries in his Test career, and all have been scored in the World Test Championship. In 53 matches, he has scored 4225 runs at an average of 48.01 during the Test Championship.
Marnus used to have his test average over 50. However, a recent dip in form, which also led to him being dropped from the test side as well, brought his batting average down.
Still, he is the batter with the second-most test centuries and third-most runs in WTC history so far.
4. Kane Williamson | 11
Kane Williamson has batted amazingly in the World Test Championship. He has played only 28 matches so far in this tournament, but has managed to score 11 centuries in his 50 innings.
Williamson has the best average (61.34) among the batsmen who have scored at least 2000 runs in the World Test Championship. During the Test match versus South Africa, the former Kiwi skipper scored two tons in the same game.
Former Indian test captain Rohit Sharma is the only Indian batter included in the 'most Test centuries in the World Test Championship' list.
Before retiring from the format, Rohit played 40 matches during the Test Championship since 2019. In his 69 innings, he has scored 9 centuries and 8 half-centuries with his bat.
With 2716 runs in the World Test Championship in just 40 Tests, Rohit is the highest scorer for India in WTC history so far, with an average is 41.15. Rohit Sharma's all of 9 test tons in WTC came in winning cause for India.
Brook after scoring his latest test century, vs India in Birmingham. Image | Getty Images
Currently, the ICC No.1 Men's test batter, Harry Brook, comes at number six on our list of players with the most test centuries in the World Test Championship.
The English youngster has just played 26 test matches during the WTC cycles and has scored 9 centuries so far.
Apart from Joe Root, he has been the shining armour of the English batting lineup in the last two seasons. Brook, till now, has scored 2424 test runs in WTC at an average of 55.09, with an outstanding strike rate of 84.54, the highest in WTC history.
Gill after scoring his double ton against England at Edgbaston. Image | BCCI
Before starting his tenure as the captain of the Indian men's test cricket team, Shubman Gill was nowhere on this list of batters with the most test hundreds in WTC history.
But as he wore the blazer of the Indian team, he was a different beast. In the first two tests as captain, he hit three centuries, which also had a highest score of 269, the highest by any Indian test captain.
Till now, in 37 tests in WTC, Gill has scored 2647 runs at an average of 41.35, including 9 test tons.
8. Babar Azam | 8
The former Pakistan skipper has scored 8 centuries during the World Test Championship cycle. Babar Azam is the sixth in the list of batters with the most test centuries in WTC history.
In 36 matches, he has also scored 2998 runs at an average of 48.35 during the Test Championship.
The 29-year-old isn’t in the greatest of form currently, but on his day, Babar Azam is a delight to watch.
One of his most memorable knocks came against Australia in Karachi in 2022. Babar scored 196 while chasing a huge total in the 4th inning of the game.
9. Dhananjaya de Silva | 8
Sri Lanka's Dhananjaya De Silva might be one of the surprising names on this list.
The Sri Lanka captain has been one of the best batters for his country despite lacking support from the other end, most of the time.
So far, he has scored 8 centuries in 62 innings of 35 matches. Dhananjaya also scored 2509 runs, with an average of 44.80, during the Test Championship. Dhananjaya is also one of the active players with the most test centuries currently.
Head after scoring a ton against India in 2024. Image | Getty Images
Travis Head, the swashbuckling left-handed batter, has also scored 8 test tons during the World Test Championship cycle. The Aussie batter is one of the most dangerous middle-order batters in the world at the moment in test cricket.
Till now, in 51 matches in WTC, Head has scored 3264 runs at an average of 40.80, with a strike-rate of 72.85. Head also scored 15 fifties during the World Test Championship.
Head's 7 out of 8 test tons during the WTC came in a winning cause for Australia.
Australian opener Usman Khawaja has hit 8 centuries during the World Test Championship cycle.
In 42 matches, he has scored3251 runs at an average of 45.78. The Southpaw batter is a treat to watch when he is in song and has restored his career with some outstanding scores for the current WTC champions.
He was also the second-highest-scoring batsman in the 2021–2023 WTC cycle with 1,621 runs, the highest by an Australian batsman.
ICC Rankings: Abhishek Sharma becomes No.1 T20I batter, Gill and Hardik at top in ODI, Bumrah in tests
As per the latest ICC rankings, India's Abhishek Sharma clinched the No.1 ranking in the T20I batting ladder. Meantime, Shubman Gill continued to be ICC No. 1-ranked ODI batter. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah strengthened his position at the top of the ICC Men's Test Bowling rankings.
As per the latest ICC rankings, India's Abhishek Sharma clinched the No.1 ranking in the T20I batting ladder. Meantime, Shubman Gill continued to be ICC No. 1-ranked ODI batter. On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah strengthened his position at the top of the ICC Men's Test Bowling rankings.
Hardik Pandya continued to be No.1 all-rounder in T20Is while Ravindra Jadeja achieved his career-best 29th ranking in ICC Test Batting ladderboard. With his 150 in Manchester, Joe Root stabilised his position at the top of the ICC Men's Test Batting rankings.
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