Sachin Tendulkar (L) and Joe Root (R) (Source: AFP)
Test cricket, the longest and traditional format of the game, has included a lot of batting greats who graced the almost 148-year-long journey of the game since 1877.
The batting greatness in Test cricket in its first 50-70 years was defined by the legendary career of former Aussie great, Sir Donald Bradman, the epitome of batsmanship in the history of the game.
Furthermore, this journey reaches the former legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar, who became the first-ever batter in the history to score 10,000 Test runs.
It also includes the legends of Viv Richards’ stature, followed by the batting maestros like Sachin Tendulkar in the succeeding generation, and going strongly with the modern-day greats in Joe Root, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith and Kane Williamson, etc.
That said, here’s a look at the top 10 batters with most runs till January 2026 in the longest format of the game.
Top 10 batters with the most Test runs till January 2026
Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 15,921 Test runs (1989-2013)
The former India great, Sachin Tendulkar, established a batting legacy that will undoubtedly be cherished for the coming century of cricket. The batter who broke almost all records and ended up being one of the most significant benchmarks of success for the modern-day Test cricketers.
After starting his career in 1989 at the early age of 16, the Master Blaster went on to serve the Indian cricket team for 24 years, setting the new historic milestones in Test cricket. Sachin ended his career as the leading run-scorer of all time in Tests.
In the 200 games he played, the India legend scored 15,921 runs in 329 innings, with a brilliant batting average of 53.78, hitting 51 centuries and 68 half-centuries.
Notably, Sachin is still the leading run-scorer of all time in Tests, even after more than 12 years since his Test retirement in November 2013. He also holds the record of most Test centuries by a batter.
Joe Root (England) - 13,943 Test runs (2012-2026)
The modern-day batting great and arguably the greatest batting superstar in the history of English cricket, Joe Root, has left everyone stunned by his consistency and an unbelievable run of form. The Yorkshire-born veteran has narrowed the gap with Sachin Tendulkar in the list of leading run-scorers of all time in Tests.
In his 163-Test career, Root has scored 13,943 runs in 298 innings, with an average of 51.07, hitting 41 centuries and 66 half-centuries. He is just 1,978 runs away from Sachin to become the leading run-scorer in Tests. It doesn't look like a challenging task for Root to overtake Sachin in this record, considering his current form and fitness.
Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 13,378 Test runs (1995-2012)
The 17-year Test career of former Australia skipper and batting great Ricky Ponting was one of the most eventful careers for the Aussies. They witness many unforgettable moments, with Ponting at the centre of them, whether as captain or player.
Ponting made his Test debut for Australia in the Perth Test against Sri Lanka in 1995 and played for 17 years till 2012. In this time period of his 168 Tests, Ponting scored 13,378 runs in 287 innings, with an outstanding average of 58.72, hitting 41 centuries and 62 half-centuries. In the list of batters with most Test runs, Ponting ranks third, following England’s Joe Root.
The talismanic Tasmanian great also etched his name in cricket history as one of the most successful Test captains. Australia won 48 Tests under his captaincy, alongside just 16 defeats and 11 draws in the 77 Tests Ponting led.
Jacques Kallis (ICC/South Africa) - 13,289 Test runs (1995-2013)
Whenever in a cricketing discussion, if a debate starts to find the answer to the question, “Who is the all-time great all-rounder in the history of cricket?” The debate always finds its dead end when one comes up with the name of former legendary South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis.
The Proteas great left no stone unturned in his glorious 18-year-long Test career from 1995 to 2013, be it with the bat or the ball. Kallis scored 13,289 runs in 287 innings, hitting 45 centuries and 58 half-centuries, with an average of 55.37, the numbers that look like a dream even for a specialist batter. He is still the fourth leading run-scorer of all-time in Tests after more than 12 years of his retirement.
These numbers hold more significance when one comes to know that Kallis achieved these batting numbers as an all-rounder. Interestingly, he is in the second spot in the list of batters with the most Test centuries, following Sachin Tendulkar.
Rahul Dravid (ICC/India) - 13,288 Test runs (1996-2012)
The former legendary India batter Rahul Dravid, famously known as ‘The Wall’ for his iconic unbreakable defence. He also earned the reputation as India’s ‘man of crisis’ whenever the team faced a sudden top or middle order collapse in any Test match during his career.
Dravid served the Indian cricket team in the longest format for almost 16 years, from his debut in June 1996 to his last appearance in January 2012. The veteran of 164 Tests scored 13,288 runs in 286 innings, with an average of 52.31, hitting 36 centuries and 63 half-centuries.
Dravid ranks fifth in the list of the all-time leading run-scorers in Tests, alongside being the second leading run-scorer in Tests for India.
Alastair Cook (England) - 12,472 Test runs (2006-2018)
The former England skipper and the one of the all-time batting greats, Sir Alastair Cook, represented his side in the Tests for 12 years. He went on to play 161 Tests and scored 12,472 runs in 291 innings, averaging 45.35, with 33 centuries and 57 half-centuries.
He is the sixth all-time leading run-scorer among the top 10 batters with most Test runs, alongside being the second leading run-scorer for England, after being surpassed by Joe Root.
Out of his career’s 161 Tests, Alastair Cook captained the Three Lions in 59 matches, winning 24 while losing 22, alongside three draws. The Gloucester-born also shone with the bat as captain, scoring 4,844 runs in the 111 innings of these 59 games, with an average of 46.57, hitting 12 centuries and 24 half-centuries.
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 12,400 Test runs (2000-2015)
The list of batting greats from the subcontinent will always look incomplete without mentioning the former Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara. He was the batting maestro who set the new standards of Test batsmanship for Sri Lanka’s cricketing generations.
Sangakkara represented the Islanders in 134 Tests, scoring 12,400 runs in 233 innings, with an average of 57.40, hitting 38 half-centuries and 52 half-centuries. He is seventh in the list of top 10 batters with the most Test runs of all time.
The southpaw also led his national side in Tests for 15 games, winning five and losing three, alongside playing seven drawn games. Nevertheless, the batter Sangakkara looked a bit more polished during his captaincy. He scored 1,601 runs in 26 innings, with a brilliant batting average of 69.60, hitting seven centuries and four half-centuries.
Brian Lara (ICC/West Indies) - 11,953 Test runs (1990-2006)
Former West Indies legend Brian Lara, alongside Sachin Tendulkar, was the joint-fastest in terms of innings to reach the milestone of 10,000 Test runs. From his debut in 1990 to his last Test appearance in 2006, Lara represented the West Indies for more than one and a half decades.
The legendary southpaw ended his career as the then-leading run-scorer in Tests, with 11,953 runs in 232 innings of the 131 Tests, with an average of 52.88, hitting 34 centuries and 58 half-centuries. Lara ranks eighth in the list of the top 10 batters with the most Test runs.
Out of his 131 Tests, Lara also captained the Caribbean side in 47 Tests, registering 10 wins and 26 defeats, alongside 11 draws. However, he had impressive batting numbers as captain, scoring 4,685 runs in 85 innings across 47 matches, with a brilliant average of 57.83, hitting 14 centuries and 19 half-centuries.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) - 11,867 Test runs (1994-2015)
Known for his unorthodox batting stance, the former Caribbean batting great, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, served his team for 21 years in Tests.
With his Test career of more than two decades, Chanderpaul has the second-longest Test career for the West Indies, following George Hadley, who played for 24 years from 1930 to 1954.
In his glorious 164-match Test career, Chanderpaul scored 11,867 runs in 280 innings, with an average of 51.37, hitting 30 centuries and 66 half-centuries. He is also the second leading run-scorer of all-time in Tests for the West Indies, following Brian Lara. Besides that, he is at the ninth spot in the list of the top 10 leading run-scorers of all-time in Tests.
Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) - 11,814 Test runs (1997-2014)
Former Sri Lanka skipper and batting legend Mahela Jayawardene made his Test debut in 1997 against India in the Colombo Test. Furthermore, he represented Sri Lanka in the longest format of the game for 17 years, until his last appearance in 2015 against Pakistan in the Colombo Test.
Mahela Jayawardene ended his career as the second leading run-scorer of all-time in Tests for Sri Lanka, following his teammate, Kumar Sangakkara. Jayawardene featured in 149 Tests for the Islanders, scoring 11,814 runs in 252 innings at an average of 49.84, with 34 centuries and 50 half-centuries.
He also led Sri Lanka in 38 Tests, winning 18, losing 12, and drawing 8. The Colombo-born batting great also showed his batting prowess as captain, scoring 3,665 runs in 66 innings of the 38 Tests, with an average of 59.11, scoring 14 centuries and 10 half-centuries. It also included an astonishing triple ton (374 runs).
