In multiple interviews, David Warner mentioned that he doesn't want to leave Australia in a hanging situation where the youngsters look clueless about their strategies. But with Warner leaving the circuit, Australia looks clueless with its opening pair.

The high-profile Border Gavaskar Trophy is knocking on the door. After 10 months of Warner's retirement, Usman Khwaja is lacking a partner to open with. The search for an opener dominated headlines last summer, and even though some names have been thrown around, the answer remains elusive.

Steve Smith, always looked comfortbale at the 4th spot but might have to be promoted to the top. But that will create a vacancy in the middle order, with no solution. 

On the other hand, Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head, and Cameron Green are hesitant about opening. Green is blessed with a back injury that adds a better reason to add complexities.

The first rounds of Sheffield Shield may provide some answers, but for now, the selectors are struggling to make a decision.

Steve Smith: The Reluctant Opener

With Cameron Green returning to the middle, CA decided to promote Smith to the opening spot, which was a tactical move and was fruitful initially. He played an impressive innings of 91 runs at Gabba against the West Indies. 

However, he looked inconsistent with time, failing to mark his name against New Zealand. Smith himself seems ambivalent about continuing in the role, expressing comfort with batting wherever the team needs him but showing no enthusiasm for opening.

While turning the pages of his stats at 4th position, he has over 5,966 runs at an average of 61.50. Even Khwaja supports Smith at 4.

But in that case, who will fill the void at the top?

Is Marnus Labuschagne a Natural Choice?

Marnus Labuschagne has prior experience of opening 15 matches in first-class cricket for Glamorgan in the County Championship. But shifting him to Australia's 3rd position looks risky.

His number in 3rd position gives him enough support to stay—11 centuries and an average of 51.78. Moving him to the opener might fix one problem but create another.

It is not an issue with Marnus but an issue for Australia. Marnus has the tactical capabilities to adapt to the new role. But is Australia courageous enough to be flexible with him and destabilize the middle?

Travis Head: The Wildcard Option

Travis Head, the ultimate trauma to all the Indians, certainly looks like an option for opening, for his aggressive approach.

Head stepped into the opener’s role during Australia’s Test series in India last year, where he performed well, averaging 55.75 in five innings. His aggressive approach at the top could serve Australia well, particularly on fast Australian pitches.

However, it is Head himself who feels opening to be a "headache" for him. He strongly believes that his counter-attacking abilities should be an asset to the middle order.

This may, thus, push the selectors to drag him to the middle order. Not only that, there are also concerns about his vulnerability to short-pitched bowling, especially against India’s pace attack.

Again, the opening position feels unsorted having an overcrowded middle order.

Cameron Green: An Experiment Waiting to Happen

Before Steve Smith was promoted to opener, Cameron Green was considered a potential replacement for Warner. Although Green has never opened at the first-class level, some cricket pundits believe he has the skill and mindset to succeed as an opener. His powerful stroke play and ability to handle fast bowling make him a tempting option.

However, Green’s back injury in the United Kingdom complicates matters. Depending on his recovery, he may be unavailable to bowl, but selectors could still consider him a specialist batter. If Green is fit, he could be the answer Australia is looking for, but his inexperience at the top raises questions.

Mitchell Marsh: A Dark Horse for the Role

Marsh is believed to have sound technical abilities to face the new. Such abilities were showcased in limited-over cricket, as he has a better performance against fast bowlers.

He is actually someone the management can trust to thrust into the opening slot because of the proactive, aggressive approach he has shown in one-day cricket.

However, like Head, Marsh has found a comfortable niche in the middle order, particularly at No. 6. His reluctance towards opening in Test cricket has again disrupted the selectors to experiment with his position.

Cameron Bancroft: The Specialist Opener in Waiting?

While the internal options continue to be debated, one name from outside the Test XI is gaining traction—Cameron Bancroft. 

The Sheffield Shield has witnessed this guy amassing 1,728 runs at an average of 54.00 over the past two years. In case Australia is wandering around like a delirium, Bancroft should be on their plate.

But here again, another confusion may arise! The inclusion of Bancroft means dropping one specialized name from the middle order. Now, who will be ready to be the scapegoat for the team? That is something to keep an eye on!

Confusion with no solution

Australia faces a difficult decision as the home summer looms. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting next month, the camp is in utter confusion and a hurry as well to come to a commendable conclusion.

The next few weeks of Sheffield Shield cricket will be critical in determining Australia’s plan.

Hopefully, the mighty Aussies will find a better replacement for the retired Warner to face the pace attack from India.

The ICC men’s ODI World Cup has witnessed some of the greatest batters exhibiting their best in the quest for world glory. The World Cup is watched by millions of viewers across the globe, all thanks to the incredibly entertaining cricket action.

World Cup allows players to display their talents to the fullest, but oftentimes, players perform at a whole other level. Teams have exceeded 400 runs on the scorecard, batsmen have hit double centuries, and bowlers have dismissed entire teams for double-digit totals.

The World Cup has seen its share of highs and lows, but today, we take a look at the individual record for most centuries. So, let's take a look at the batters with most centuries in World Cup history.

Also Read: Youngest Indian cricketers to score an international century

Most Centuries in World Cup

6. Ricky Ponting | 5

Ricky Ponting also scored 5 centuries in World Cup history. In a glorious career spanning 46 World Cup matches between 1996 and 2011, he notched 1,743 runs.

His best score during this period was 140 not out. Under ponting's leadership, Australia bagged three World Cup titles.

5. Virat Kohli | 5

Virat Kohli has scored five centuries in World Cups across 36 innings. He played his first ever ODI World Cup in 2011 and has been a part of every squad that played the following World Cups.

In 2011, on his World Cup debut, Kohli scored a century. His next century came in 2015 against Pakistan. But it was in the 2023 World Cup that Kohli was at his absolute best, scoring three centuries. He is overall the second-highest run scorer in World Cups, with 1795 runs.

4. Kumar Sangakkara | 5

Kumar Sangakkara is the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in ODI cricket history. Not just that, he has also scored the most centuries by a Sri Lankan player at the World Cup.

In 37 World Cup matches, Sangakkara scored five centuries, which were a part of the 1532 runs he scored in World Cups at an average of 56.74.

3. Sachin Tendulkar | 6

There is nearly no World Cup batting record of which Sachin Tendulkar is not a part. Tendulkar, who played six World Cups in his career, smashed six centuries in 44 innings. Sachin is also the top run-scorer in World Cup history, having amassed 2278 runs in 45 matches.

2011, when India broke their 28-year losing streak, was Sachin’s last World Cup. He also holds the record for the most fifties in World Cup history, with a total of 15 of them.

2. David Warner | 6

Australia’s destructive opening batsman David Warner comes second on this list. Warner has played every World Cup starting from the 2015 edition, and has scored six centuries in 29 innings. Two of these centuries came in the 2023 World Cup in India.

Overall from 2015 to 2023, he has scored 1527 runs in 29 games. His top score is 178 runs which came in the 2015 World Cup clash against Afghanistan. 

Also Read: Most Test Wins by a Team since 2010

1. Rohit Sharma | 7

Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma tops the list of most centuries in World Cup history. Rohit has scored a total of 7 centuries in World Cup history so far.

In a brilliant performance during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, Rohit Sharma shattered his 7th century against Afghanistan. Rohit has scored 1575 runs in 28 innings from 2015 to 2023, in which his best score has been 140 runs.

Playing test matches is one thing but to win test matches is a whole other ball game as only the best teams are able to win and get better as a test match side. During the 140+ years of test cricket there have been around 2500+ test matches that have been played by the various teams playing and these teams strive to beat the other team in this match and win the series as a result. Winning a test match is the ultimate satisfaction for a team even now. So, let’s look at the statistics of Most Test Wins by a Team since 2010.

Also Read: Most Sixes in International Cricket History | Top 25 Batters

Most Test Wins by a Team since 2010

5. New Zealand | 52

The number 5 team in this list is the New Zealand team which has won 52 test matches since 2010 out of a total of 122 test matches played till now. They have lost 46 matches which is not a good record to have and hopefully the win loss difference decreases and they have a total of drawn test matches of 24 and going forward it can be said that their record will improve.

4. South Africa | 66

South Africa have one of the most impressive records in the test cricket as in the 127 test matches they have played in from 2010-2025 , they have been able to win 66 test matches and they have lost 39 matches against good teams as well and they also have drawn 22 test matches. South Africa was barred from cricket as well for a number of years and they were reinstated in 1993 again and their journey hasn’t looked back since.

3. India | 80

After Australia, the third team with most test match wins is the Indian team with 80 test match wins since 2010 in a total of 156 matches. They have also lost 48 matches which is not a good sign as well as they have 28 drawn matches throughout their journey from 2010 and the hope is this record gets better with time and they win more matches than they lose.

2. Australia | 84

Australia have played a total of 157 test matches since 2010 and they have won 84 matches and also lost 48 matches as a side and some of the losses were memorable. And Australia have drawn 25 matches and drawn test matches can be very entertaining as well. Australia will play more test matches as they go along over the years and they will reach 100 test wins really soon as well.

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

1. England | 90

England is the test team with the most number of wins in test matches since 2010. They are the only team who have played over a 190 test matches and they have won 90 matches whereas they have also lost 70 test matches as well which shows they are beaten a lot of times as well and the number of drawn test matches by England are at 31 and as they play along they will win more rest matches as well as lose matches as well.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) conducts different cricket events and tournaments throughout the year. ICC tournaments are the biggest platforms in the game of cricket, where the top teams contest against each other for championship podiums.

Contributing to the team on a big stage like this will always be remembered for a long time. The ODI World Cup is conducted once every four years, whereas the Men's T20 World Cup is played every two years. The ICC Champions Trophy is where only the top 8 teams compete in each finals tournament.

Last but not least, the World Test Championship is played over two years. This article thoroughly talks about the men's cricketing teams that have won ICC trophies at some point in time. Let's take a look at the teams with the most ICC Trophies.

Read Also: Rohit Sharma in ICC knockout games

Australia | 10

Australia's sheer dominance over other cricketing teams is nothing new. For decades, Australia has been executing out-of-ordinary performances and winning trophies for the country. Out of all the cricketing countries, Australia has the most ICC trophies.

Till now the Aussies won 10 ICC trophies. Australia is the only team to win 6 ICC World Cups. The most successful team in the Cricket World Cup clinched the trophy in 1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2015, and 2023. Interestingly Australia made a record of being the only team to win the trophy in all the countries that hosted the World Cup.

Australia won the ICC Champions Trophy twice in 2006 and 2009 against West Indies and New Zealand respectively. Lastly, Australia lifted their first-ever ICC T20 World Cup trophy after defeating New Zealand in the 2021 T20 World Cup. They claimed the ICC World Test Championship after defeating India at the Oval by a huge margin of 209 runs.

Read also: Top 8 Wicket-takers of T20 World Cup 2021

India | 7

India sits in the second position on this prestigious list of most ICC Trophies by any team. India won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1983 under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. Later again 28 years, the men in blue won the World Cup for the second time under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2011.

The Indian men's cricket team also reached the semifinals four times in 1987, 1996, 2015, and 2019. Meantime, they lost in two finals in 2003 and 2023.

The men in blue won the Champions Trophy thrice. First, in 2002, both the finalists India and Sri Lanka were declared the co-champions of the 2002 Champions Trophy. In the 2013 edition, India defeated England by 5 runs and won the Champions Trophy for the second time in Birmingham. Their latest triumph came via Champions Trophy 2025, as they defeated New Zealand by four wickets in Dubai in the final.

Lastly, India won the inaugural edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007 after defeating Pakistan in Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg. In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India defeated  South Africa by 7 runs to lift the trophy for the second time.

Read also: India's performance in every ICC tournament

West Indies | 5

Read also: T20 World Cup 2021: Man of the Series, highest wicket-taker, and highest run-getter

Next on this list is West Indies with a total of 5 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC World Cup final was won by West Indies in 1975. West Indies once again continued their reign in the next edition of the World Cup as well, in 1979. The Caribbean team also won the Champions Trophy in 2004. Lastly, West Indies became the winner of the ICC T20 World Cup twice; once against Sri Lanka in 2012 and the other time against England in 2016.

England | 3

Till 2010, the England team has not had any ICC Tournament. But, it was in 2010, when they won their first ICC T20 World Cup against arch-rival Australia. Craig Kieswetter guided them home in the final for their first-ever ICC Trophy. Post that, they have been a phenomenal white-ball team and won two ICC World Cups since then.

In 2019, they won their first ICC Men's ODI World Cup as Ben Stokes made all the difference in the final against England in a match where boundary count helped England to win the World Cup.

England's latest ICC Trophy triumph came under Jos Buttler as they became the first-ever team in Cricket history to hold the ODI and T20 World Cup at the same time. Jos Buttler and company won the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 as Sam Curran won the player of the tournament after taking 13 wickets with the ball. Curran also was the player of the match in the final as well.

Pakistan | 3

Pakistan sits in the fourth position on the list of most ICC Trophy wins by any team with 3 ICC trophies. The first-ever ICC trophy won by Pakistan was during the 1992 cricket World Cup. Pakistan defeated England in the final and won by 22 runs.

The next ICC trophy won by Pakistan was in the 2009 T20 World Cup where they beat Sri Lanka in the final and won the title by 8 wickets. The most recent and last ICC win of Pakistan is the 2017 Champions Trophy where they defeated India by 180 runs.

Read also: "No one is more disappointed than me": Hasan Ali after T20 World Cup 2021 exit

Sri Lanka | 3

Read also: ICC Hall of fame: Shaun Pollock, Mahela Jayawardene and Janette Britti get inducted

With 3 ICC trophies, Sri Lanka sits in 5th position on this list. Sri Lanka won their first-ever ICC World Cup in 1996 where they played against Australia in the final hosted in Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. They went ahead to win their next ICC trophy in the 2002 Champions Trophy. The winner of the tournament is actually both India and Sri Lanka as both the finalist teams were declared as co-champions.

The last time Sri Lanka won an ICC Trophy was when they defeated India in the 2014 T20 World Cup hosted in Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium Dhaka.

New Zealand | 2

The New Zealand cricket team has won a total of 2 ICC trophies since they started competing in tournaments conducted by ICC. The Kiwis won their first-ever ICC Trophy in the 2000 Champions Trophy. Nairobi hosted the final of New Zealand vs India where New Zealand won the match by 4 wickets.

The next ICC Trophy won by the Kiwis was the ICC World Test Championship. Once again, New Zealand played against India in the final of an ICC event and clinched the trophy in the inaugural edition of the World Test Championship final.

Read also: Winners list of last 10 ICC Tournaments

South Africa | 2

South Africa have broken the jinx and finally won an ICC trophy after 27 years, only their second ICC title after beating Australia by five wickets at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground to become World Test champions. Chasing 282 runs to win, Aiden Markram registered his eighth Test century and played one of the most important knocks of his career with 136 runs to guide the Proteas to a historic win.

Meanwhile, in the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy hosted in Bangladesh, South Africa beat West Indies in the final to win their first ICC title. Jacques Kallis was exceptional and contributed the most to the team reaching and winning the final and was awarded the player of the tournament. He hit a century and picked up a five-wicket haul as well.

Note: The stats include shared trophies. The article was first written by Shreya Ghosh and then got edited by Abishek Goswami.

In October 2017, the ICC announced a Test League which would involve the top nine teams playing series over two years with the top two teams qualifying for a World Test Championship Final. The first ICC World Test Championship started with the 2019 Ashes series and finished with New Zealand lifting the trophy after defeating India in the final in June 2021. Let's take a look at the players with the most runs in WTC 2023-25 cycle.

As the WTC 2023-25 is approaching its end, it is now time to look at those huge numbers by some sensational test batters.

Also Read: Most Test centuries in the World Test Championship

Most Runs in WTC 2023-25

1. Joe Root | 1968 Runs

England's experienced batsman Joe Root leads the most runs in WTC 2023-25 list. Across a distinguished Test career that began in December 2012, Joe Root has scaled numerous batting peaks. However, it was during the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle that the English maestro arguably hit his most prolific stride. 

Scoring 1,968 runs from just 40 innings at an impressive average of 54.66, Root registered seven centuries in the span, elevating his career tally from 29 to 36 and breaking a host of long-standing records along the way.

Root scored 412 runs against Australia, helping England level a fighting 2023 Ashes at home. He also overcame Indian spinners with 320 runs from 10 innings in early 2024, and carried on his juggernaut with a monumental haul of 666 runs in just six Tests against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home with an average of over 70.

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal | 1798 Runs

India's young batsman Yashasvi Jaiswal comes second in the most runs in WTC 2023-25 list, having scored 1798 runs in 36 innings of 19 matches at an impressive average of 52.88. Jaiswal has four centuries (two double centuries) and ten half-centuries to his name.

Jaiswal, who made his Test debut at the onset of India’s 2023-25 WTC campaign. The talented left-hander started off his career with an epic 171 against West Indies in Roseau to conclude his maiden series with 266 runs at an average of 88.67. In just his second Test series later that year, Jaiswal’s vulnerability against the short ball was laid bare by South Africa’s fiery pace attack. Nonetheless, the youngster bounced back against England later in the same month, whacking 712 runs from nine innings at an average of 89, smashing two successive double hundreds at one stage, both in winning causes.

Jaiswal’s twin fifties in Kanpur, and another in Chennai against Bangladesh led to India’s comfortable 2-0 series win at home. However, he failed to replicate his home success against New Zealand during India’s 0-3 thrashing in October-November 2024. Jaiswal also aggregated 391 runs in five Border-Gavaskar Trophy Tests in Australia, in a series where no other Indian player managed to scale 300.

3. Ben Duckett | 1470 Runs

England’s top-order batter Ben Duckett fetched 1,470 runs for his nation from 41 innings spanning 22 Tests from the 2023-25 WTC. The cricketer maintained an average of 36.75 and held on to a strike rate of 84.33, the highest among all WTC batters with over 200 runs to their names, let alone 1,400+. The attacking left-hander smashed two tons, including a hundred each in India and Pakistan, in addition to his eight half-centuries.

Duckett made 321 runs against Australia in the 2023 Ashes, 343 runs on hostile spin conditions of India in early 2024, and 364 runs in six home Tests in mid-2024 against West Indies and Sri Lanka. The star opening batter also scored 262 against Pakistan bowlers at 52.40, before concluding his campaign with 180 runs in New Zealand.

4. Harry Brook | 1463 Runs

Despite missing the entirety of England’s five-match Test series in India in early 2024, Harry Brook concluded his WTC 2023-25 campaign as one of its highest getters, gathering 1,463 runs from 29 innings at an average of 50.44 and with an impressive strike rate of 83.36. 

The attacking English batter blasted 363 runs against an experienced Australian attack during the 2023 Ashes at a strike rate of nearly 80, and followed up with 377 quick runs against West Indies and Sri Lanka in six home Tests the following season.

Brook also mounted a huge triple ton in England’s high-scoring win in Pakistan to accumulate 373 runs overall in five innings of the series, before flaying New Zealand with two tons and a fifty en route to 350 additional runs in three Tests to cap his WTC cycle.

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

5. Usman Khawaja | 1422 Runs

Australian opener Usman Khawaja, who was earlier at number one, is now fifth among the leading run-scorers in the WTC 2023-25. Khawaja tallied 1,422 runs from 37 innings spanning 19 Tests of the 2023-25 WTC cycle at an average of 41.82, whacking two centuries and six fifties in the process.

The elegant Australian opener started off by logging 496 runs in the drawn Ashes series of 2023 in England, which included a match-winning 141 in Edgbaston and three additional fifties in the remainder of the series. Khawaja dropped the ball, at least to a certain extent, in the subsequent five home Tests against Pakistan and West Indies, aggregating 359 runs in 10 innings at a below par average of 39.88 with just two fifty-plus scores across both series.

Also Read: Most Runs for India in a Test Series

The seasoned opener also struggled against New Zealand (away) and against India (at home), with Jasprit Bumrah largely tormenting him in the latter of the two series. Yet, just as when the flame seemed to fade, Khawaja made a return in Australia’s dominant 2-0 series victory in Sri Lanka, plundering a majestic 232 in Galle against a formidable spin attack.

Test cricket, mostly called the purest format of the game, has seen some of the greatest cricketers and batters showing their skills with patience, stroke-making ability and the perseverance to bat long and score. Past greats and legends like Don Bradman, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jacques Kallis and many others dominated test cricket during their time. But, with modern cricket kicking in, this time we will look at the list of active players with most hundreds in test cricket.

Players with most Test centuries in cricket history

Before we talk about the current active cricketers, we should and must take a look at all the batters who dominate the overall list. As we all know, Sachin Tendulkar is the batter with most test centuries in world cricket. In fact, his record of 100 international tons might not get broken ever in cricket history. 

Before Sachin broke into the scene, there was Sir Don Bradman, who had retired as the batter with most test centuries (29) and later the little master Sunil Gavaskar broke his record and finished his career with 34 test centuries. But, do they come in the list of players with the most test centuries? Let's take a look at that.

So, sadly, one of the greatest cricketers in cricket history, Sir Don Bradman, does not even come in the top 10 batters with the most test tons in cricket history. Interestingly, only Joe Root is the active cricketer on that list. Hence, you already know who the active cricketer with the most test tons is: Joe Root.

Most Test Centuries by active cricketers

#10. Ben Stokes | 13

Regarded as one of the best test cricketers of the 2010s and 2020s, Ben Stokes is perhaps the greatest match-winner of modern cricket. The southpaw batter is as lethal with the bat in the lower middle order and can change his gear with regard to the needs of the game.

Not only that, his skill to bat with the tail and chase nearly impossible totals in the last inning is quite remarkable. 

Stokes has 13 test centuries against his name in 105 test matches for the Three Lions. His 258  in just 198 balls against South Africa in Cape Town saw him make the fastest test double century by any English cricketer. That is also the highest test score by a batter batting at number six.

And, yes, who can forget his immortal innings of 135 at Edgbaston in the 2019 Ashes Test, where he single-handedly achieved England's highest successful run chase in Tests, with Jack Leach at the other end.

#9 Tom Latham | 13

Tom Latham, the Kiwi opener, is surely one of the best top-order batters of this generation. Although he has always been in the shadow of Kane Williamson, Latham has contributed well to his country since his test debut in 2014. In the last ten years, Latham has played 81 test matches and scored 5516 test runs so far, including 13 test centuries, which places him at number nine in this list.

Latham's unbeaten 264 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 2018 is the highest score by any opener while carrying his bat. Not only that, he is only the second Kiwi cricketer to carry his bat in test cricket.

Latham is currently the vice-captain of the test team and one of the reasons for New Zealand's success in recent years.

#8. Mominul Haque | 13

Mominul Haque, the stylish and gritty test batter from Bangladesh, is at No. 8 on this list with 13 test tons. The top-order batter started his test career with a record-breaking 181 against Sri Lanka, which is the highest debut score by any Bangladeshi batter.

Since then, he has been one of the pillars of the Bangladeshi batting lineup in tests. From 2013 to 2017, Haque averaged over 50 with the bat, which dropped to below 40 post-2022. 

 He is one of only six batters, including the likes of Don Bradman, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis, to score seven test tons at a single venue; Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chattogram.

#7 Usman Khawaja | 16

Another top-order batter in the list, who has made tons of runs in the last few years for Australia. Usman, who was born in Pakistan and later moved to Australia as a young kid, made his test debut in 2011, replacing the great Ricky Ponting at number. At that time, he became the first Muslim cricketer to play for Australia. Despite a decent debut match, Khawaja was never given a long run and kept losing his spot in the team.

In 2015-16, he made another solid return to the test squad, but his failure in away tests always kept him in and out of the team. But, after his comeback with two tons in a single test match in 2022 against England in Sydney, Khwaja has emerged as one of the best batters for Australia. His move at the top of the order has also helped him regain his lost confidence at the international level.

Post a stunning 2023, where he scored 1210 runs in 13 test matches at 52.60, Khawaja won the 2023 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award.

In 80 test matches so far, Khawaja has scored 5930 test runs, including 16 test tons and 27 fifty-plus scores. He is also the fifth-highest run-scorer (3165) in the World Test Championship's history, despite playing only 39 matches. 

#6 Dimuth Karunaratne | 16

Dimuth Karunaratne has been one of the greatest modern-day batters for Sri Lanka in recent years. The opening batter comes from the same St Joseph's College, which produced players like Angelo Mathews and Thisara Perera. Dimuth debuted for Sri Lanka in tests in 2012 and gradually cemented his place in the team despite a duck in his debut inning. 

In 2014, he scored his debut hundred against New Zealand in Christchurch and has scored 15 more in his test career since then. Three years later, he missed his first double ton by four runs when he played an outstanding knock of 196 against Pakistan in Dubai. In 2021, he scored hundreds in three back-to-back test matches, and one of them was a 244 against Bangladesh, his best in test cricket. 

Dimuth is the highest run-getter for Sri Lanka in the World Test Championship with 2642 runs in 35 test matches so far. He has scored 6 tons in WTC history as well.

#5 Dinesh Chandimal | 16

Another Sri Lankan in the list of active batters with the most test centuries prove why, despite not being considered a force, they have done well in recent times. Dinesh Chandimal, one of the most underrated cricketers going around, has climbed up in the list with a stunning hundred (116) against New Zealand at Galle. 

Chandimal, just like Angelo Mathews, emerged on the scene as one of the best talents in the country and became a mainstay in the middle order after the retirement of the legendary Sangakkara-Jayawardene pair. At 23, he was chosen as the T20I captain and as Mathews' deputy in tests.

Read Also | Most Runs in WTC 2023-25 

In 2013, Dinesh scored back-to-back centuries against Bangladesh and then played an unbeaten 162 against India in 2015 to nearly drag Sri Lanka to a win from an impossible position. His 164 against India in Delhi in 2017 was one of his remarkable innings after leading Sri Lanka to a 2-0 victory against Pakistan, away from home.

However, after that, he could not keep his form, and it wasn't until 2022 that he came back to his best with an unbeaten 206 against Australia at Galle to deny the mighty Aussies a test series win.

Till now, Chandimal has scored 16 test centuries in 88 test matches and looks like a strong candidate to be the first one to reach 20 test centuries among the active Sri Lankan cricketers. 

#4. Cheteshwar Pujara | 19

Although he has not been a part of the Indian test team since 2023, Cheteshwar Pujara is still an active test cricketer. The modern wall of Indian cricket, who was among one of the rarest batters in this counterattacking generation to tire the bowlers down and play a whole day of test cricket, without giving it a second thought.

Pujara's temperament was one of the main reasons why he was called up for the national team in 2010. After a very impressive 72 against Australia on debut, it was only a matter of time before Pujara became a mainstay of the Indian team.

Soon, he became the joint-fastest Indian to 1000 Test runs, and quickly he became the new Wall of Indian cricket. Till now, in 103 test matches, Pujara has scored 7195, including 19 centuries. 

Recent drop in form has kept in out of the Indian team, but his love for the game has kept him going at the domestic level. Pujara is one of the 13 players in test cricket history to bat in each day of a five-day test match. 

Read Also: Most runs vs England in England for India in tests

#3 Kane Willamson | 33

Kane Williamson has been the best Kiwi cricketer of the last two decades, and even the great Martin Crowe believed that he would finish as the greatest batter from New Zealand. 

Debuted in 2010, Kane scored a ton against India in Ahmedabad and since then, has never had to look back. 24 years and 151 days old, Kane then became the youngest New Zealand cricketer to score 3000 test runs. In 2015, Kane hit his first double ton against Sri Lanka in Wellington and since then has scored five more test double tons.

Read Also | Most international runs in Cricket history

As a leader, Kane in 2018 became the fourth Kiwi captain to win a test series in England, followed by a first-ever series triumph against Pakistan, away from home.

Williamson, with 9276 test runs, is the player with the most test runs for New Zealand. He also holds the record for most test centuries scored by a Kiwi batter (33). He is also the quickest batter in test history (by innings) to reach 33 test tons.

Moreover, Williamson was also the first-ever Kiwi captain to lead them to an ICC trophy success when he led them to the WTC title in 2021 against India. The former Kiwi captain is also New Zealand's highest run-getter in WTC history with 2822 runs at 61.34 average and 11 test tons. 

#2 Steve Smith | 36

After starting as a leg spinner in 2010, Steve Smith's journey to become one of the greatest test batters for Australia is quite remarkable. Despite getting banned for 12 months due to the ball-tampering scandal in 2018, Smith made a great comeback to test cricket and has scored 9 test centuries since 2019.

Smith scored his first century in 2013 against England at the Oval and scored three more in his next six matches. Before he was made the captain in 2015, he was already the No.1 ranked test batter in the world, scoring seven centuries in 17 test matches in 2014-15, including centuries in four consecutive test matches. 

In 2017, he scored six test tons, including a double ton in just 11 test matches to win his second ICC Test Cricketer of the Year award second time, after winning it in 2015.

Though in the past few years, bowlers have found some ways to stop him from scoring runs with his unorthodox style, he scored five centuries in 13 innings from July 2022 to June 2023.

In 2024, Smith scored two consecutive test centuries in the Australia vs India Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. With 36 test tons in just 116 tests, he is now the active batter with the joint-most test tons.

#1 Joe Root | 36

2021 Test Cricketer of the Year, nominated again in 2023 for the same award, most runs and tons in World Test Championship history, most test runs by any English batter, most test tons by any English batter; these are the few achievements Joe Root made in the last seven years. 

The youngest of the "fav four", Root debuted in 2012 on England's tour to India and impressed with a 73 from 229 balls, and everyone saw his ability to stay at the crease and play long.

Five tests later, he scored his first test hundred in England against New Zealand in 2013. Two tests later, he followed that up with a 180 against Australia at Lord's.

Read Also | Joe Root vs Sachin Tendulkar: Who is ahead after 145 Test matches? Full analysis 

Before he was made the captain in 2017, he had already played 53 test matches in five years with a batting average of over 50. 190 in the first inning as test captain, and all knew he would go on to break all the records for England. Root finished 2017 with 1481 for England despite scoring only two tons.

The story continued the same way for him in the following year, as despite scoring lots of fifty-plus scores, Root could score only two test tons as England struggled in tests as a team.

But, everything changed for him in 2021 as he started the year with one century and one double century in the first three tests. Another back-to-back hundred against India at home would mean he would go on to win the 2021 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year Award.

Root that year nearly broke the record of the most test runs scored in a calendar year with 1708 test runs, missing the record by 80 runs.

Since the start of 2022, Root has scored 13 test tons, scoring 3475 runs at an average of 53.46. In WTC, he is the highest run scorer with 5543 runs, with a record 18 centuries.