The classic cricket playing format, test cricket, is still popular with spectators today. Over time, a number of new formats have emerged and gained popularity, such as Twenty20 and One-Day International, over Test cricket, which is still the original form of the game.
Test cricket tournaments and tours continue to draw sell-out audiences to stadiums. The batting team’s top goal is a big score; the bowling team’s goal is to take quick wickets. Because of the layout of the field and the nature of the pitches, bowlers often excel in test cricket. But in test matches, batters also have a tendency to perform exceptionally well.
1. Sachin Tendulkar – 51 centuries
Sachin Tendulkar of India is regarded as the “God of Cricket,” and rightly so. With numerous unbreakable cricket records under his belt, he is the most accomplished batsman of the century. The most test centuries comprise one such record. Tendulkar is the highest run scorer in test cricket history with 51 hundreds during his illustrious career. More than 200 games and 329 innings, he has scored 15,921 runs. Considering the games he has played, Tendulkar’s average of 53.78 and strike rate of 54.04 are also noteworthy. Given that the players who came after him have all retired and are getting older, Tendulkar will always hold the record for the most test hundreds.
2.Jacques Kallis – 45 centuries
Jacques Kallis of South Africa has the second-most test centuries. Kallis has amassed 13,289 runs in his career and scored 45 hundreds in 280 innings. Given that most fans are familiar with Kallis as a bowler, his entry is unexpected. But Kallis, who is considered the best all-rounder of all time, was equally skilled with the bat and the ball.
3. Ricky Ponting – 41 centuries
Early in the twenty-first century, Australia’s success was greatly attributed to Ricky Ponting. In addition to being a fantastic batsman, Ponting is regarded as one of the most successful captains in cricket history. With an average of 51.85 and a strike rate of 58.72, he amassed 41 hundred runs in 287 innings. Ponting is usually regarded as one of the greatest cricket players of all time because of his brilliant on-field IQ and strategic playing style.
4. Kumar Sangakkara – 38 centuries
Former great Kumar Sangakkara of Sri Lanka has amassed 38 Test hundreds, placing him fourth on the list of players with the most tonnes in the longest format. Over a 15-year career, the former captain averaged 57.40 in 134 Test matches. He has amassed the most runs by a wicketkeeper in an innings (230), the second-most double hundreds in Test history (11), the most fifties in consecutive innings (7), and is the sixth-highest run scorer in Test history (12,400).
The best centuries came in matches against India in 2010 (219), Australia in 2007 (192), Pakistan in 2002 (230), and South Africa in 2004 and 2006 (287 and 232, respectively).
5. Rahul Dravid – 36 centuries
Indian cricket team’s current head coach and former captain. Before calling it quits in 2012, Rahul Dravid amassed 36 Test hundreds from 286 innings, good for an average of 52.31. Dravid, known by his nickname “The Wall” for his incredible endurance when batting in Test matches, has the most nineties of any batsman in the longest format (10). In Tests, Dravid also holds the record for the second-highest number of fours (1654). In addition, he has taken the most catches in Tests (210), and he is the second fastest to 9,000 runs.
6. Younis Khan – 34 centuries
Throughout the course of his 17-year career, former Pakistani captain Younis Khan amassed 34 Test hundreds from 213 innings. When Younis announced his retirement in 2017, he had a 52.05 format average.
The right-hander made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2000, when he struck a brilliant century in the second innings and made his name as one of Pakistan’s all-time greatest batsmen known. Against Sri Lanka Karachi in 2009, Younis struck a triple century while serving as his team’s captain.
7. Sunil Gavaskar – 34 centuries
It took Little Master Sunil Gavaskar 214 innings to reach 34 Test tonnes, which is the same number as Younis Khan. As captain, Gavaskar amassed the second-highest number of hundreds in a Test series (4) and the fourth-highest number of runs (732). Thirteen of his centuries came against West Indies, who he loved to bat against.
The best centuries came in 1971 in Port of Spain against the West Indies, 1977 in Brisbane against Australia, 1979 in London against England, 1983 in Chennai against the West Indies (236*), and 1983 in Faisalabad against Pakistan (127).
8. Brian Lara – 34 centuries
Brian Lara, one of the greatest batsmen in history, had a career spanning from 1990 to 2006 that saw him score 34 centuries from 232 innings. The majority of cricket fans are aware of his record of 400* runs in an innings.
In Tests, he has also hit the third-most fours (1559), most triple hundreds (2), and third-most double centuries (9). Being the fastest person to reach 10,000 Test runs is another significant record that Lara owns.
9. Mahela Jayawardene – 34 centuries
The legendary Mahela Jayawardene of Sri Lanka, who retired in 2014, holds the ninth-highest number of centuries in Test cricket history. The right-hander, who is currently a well-known coach, finished his Test career with an average of 51.45, amassing 34 hundreds and 50 fifties in 252 innings. Jayawardene’s preferred location to bat was the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, where he amassed 2921 runs from 42 innings at an average of over 70. At a particular location, no other batsman has a higher average.
10. Alastair Cook – 33 centuries
The former England opener finished his career with an average of 43.35, having scored 33 Test hundreds from 291 innings. The southpaw has played in the most consecutive Test matches for a team (159), and he has captained a team in the fourth-highest number of consecutive games (57).
He is also the sixth fastest player to reach 12,000 runs and has taken the sixth-most catches (175) in Test history.
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FAQ About Most Centuries
1.Who has the most centuries in Test cricket history?
Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest players in TEST cricket and with 51 centuries, he holds the record of making the most centuries in Test.
2. How many centuries kohli has in the test cricket?
Virat Kohli is an Indian cricketer and a top order batsman. As of January 2024 he has made 80 centuries in international cricket — 29 in Test cricket,
3. Who scored 300 in Indian test?
The record is held by Karun, who in the 2016 Chennai Test against England scored a triple tonne (303 not out). The only other batsman from India to reach the 300-mark in Test cricket is Karun. In Test matches, Sehwag has amassed two triple hundreds: 309 against Pakistan in Multan in 2004 and 319 against South Africa in Chennai in 2008.
4. Who is the youngest Test century on debut?
The only player to score hundreds in his first three Test matches is Mohammad Azharuddin. At the age of 17 years and 61 days, Mohammad Ashraful of Bangladesh became the youngest player to score a century in Test cricket when he hit his debut hundred.
5. In cricket history, who has the fastest test century?
Brendon McCullum of New Zealand, who scored 100 runs off of 54 balls in his last Test match, holds the record for the fastest Test century.