Top 10 Current batsmen with most Test centuries

Some top class names appear in the list of non-retired Test batsmen with most centuries. These wonderfully gifted batsmen have been consistent run scorers and made telling contributions for their respective teams. All of these batsmen have developed their own methods to succeed in the most challenging format of the game and achieved great results. A few have been around for years but there are also the most promising and young talents included. The future of Test cricket looks great with the likes of Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli and Joe Root also in the reckons to enter the list. Here are the Top 10 Current batsmen with most Test centuries: 10. Steve Smith – 14: Australia’s captain Steve Smith. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Australian Test skipper who recently received the Test mace for on behalf of the team for being the no.1 Test team in the year 2015 has entered the list of top 10 current batsmen with most Test hundreds. Smith has an unconventional game, not very orthodox, he moves around the crease to play his shots. He has a different strategy and movement to deal with different type of bowlers. He uses the crease to a great effect and has been able to bulk up runs across formats in no times. He has played 42 Tests and has scored 3937 runs which have been powered by the 14 centuries he has hit along with 17 fifties. Smith’s best Test score is 215 and he has a superlative average of 59.65. Also read – Top 10 Most successful Test captains 9. Ross Taylor – 14: Ross Taylor. (© Cricket Australia/Getty Images) Next is another New Zealander, Ross Taylor with 14 Test tons. An attacking batsman, Taylor has been a key member of his team in all formats of the game. A ferocious pull short helps him deal with the fast bowlers and a strong slog-sweep against the spinners, the classy right-hander is a wonderful striker of the cricket ball. He recently became only the 5th New Zealander to score more than 5000 Test runs with a magnificent double hundred against the Aussies at Perth. Against England, he scored his maiden century, 120, at Hamilton and then followed that with a memorable 154 at Old Trafford showcasing his batting prowess. Taylor is a veteran of 70 Tests, 171 ODIs and 73 T20I matches and New Zealand’s top century maker in all formats of international cricket with 29 hundreds. Also read – Top 10 Current batsmen with most hundreds in ODIs 8. Chris Gayle – 15: Chris Gayle’s 333. (Photo Source: AFP) The burly Jamaican Chris Gayle is at number 9 with 15 Test tons. Arguably one of the most destructive batsmen to have ever graced the game, Gayle is also a very popular man. A colorful personality on and off the field, the West Indian is a huge hit amongst fans and fellow cricketers. Nobody hits the ball harder than this man and when in form he is simply unstoppable. He has played 103 Test matches, mostly as an opening batsman, scoring 7214 runs at an average of 42.18. His wonderful Test record has been usually overshadowed by his amazing achievements in the shorter formats of the game. Minimum footwork, however, an outstanding hand-eye coordination allows him to hit most deliveries for boundaries at will. A strike rate of 97.3 in Test cricket is remarkable and he still manages to play big innings, like the one he did against Sri Lanka, scoring a career-best 333. Back problems have kept him out of the side recently and it will be interesting to see when he calls time on his illustrious career. 7. David Warner – 16: David Warner. (© Getty Images) The squash buckling Aussie opener occupies the number 7 spot with 16 Test tons. Having started his international career as a T20 specialist, Warner has astonished everyone with his brilliant attacking batting in Test cricket. He became the first man to represent Australia without a first-class match since 1877 when he represented his country in a T20I against South Africa in 2009. A simple mantra of ‘see the ball, hit the ball’ allows him to play his natural game. Scoring 16 Test centuries from just 52 matches is a spectacular achievement considering the free-flowing manner in which he bats. He made his Test debut against the Kiwis at the Gabba in 2011 and scored his maiden Test hundred in the next Test at Hobart. He has consistently scored runs in all forms of the game and has become a match-winner for his team. 6. AB de Villiers – 21: AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: BCCI) ‘ABD’, as he his fondly called by his fans, is the kind of batsman who can single-handedly win a match for his team. With 21 Test hundreds, South African skipper AB de Villiers is 6th in this list. Dazzling footwork and amazing hand-eye coordination make him unpredictable yet unbeatable. A nightmare for the bowlers and captains alike, his temperament and ability to pace the innings are secondary to none. A batting genius, the South African is his teams’ most dependable batsman in all forms of the game. He made his debut against England as an opener in a losing cause at Port Elizabeth in 2004 scoring 28 and 14 in the 2 innings. His maiden Test ton, 109, was in the fifth Test of the same series, a match that ended in a draw. He is one of the best in the business and adored by cricket fans around the globe. 5. Ian Bell – 22: Ian Bell. (© Getty Images) One of England’s finest ever batsmen, Ian Bell is at number 5 with 22 Test tons. A veteran of 118 Test matches he has been a loyal servant of English cricket and a backbone of their batting lineup since many years. He was earmarked for greatness long before he made his debut against the West Indies at the Oval in 2004. A sound batting technique has enabled him to score runs in all conditions. His has scored 7727 Test runs at an average of 42.69 and has been a part of many memorable English victories including the Ashes. An unbeaten knock of 162 against Bangladesh at Chester-le-Street in 2005 was his first Test century. The 2013 Ashes series witnessed some memorable performances from Bell. He scored centuries in each of England’s three victories and this became the first man to reach triple figures in three successive Ashes Tests since Chris Broad in 1986. He was rightly given the player of the series award for his match-winning knocks in the series. 4. Kevin Pietersen – 23: Kevin Pietersen. (© Getty Images) The flamboyant and controversial ‘KP’ is the next to feature in this list. One of England’s all-time greats, Kevin Pietersen’s incredible stroke play helped England win many matches. Few cricketers have divided opinion like this man, but there is no denying the fact that he remains one of the most attractive batsmen to have ever graced the game. He made his England debut in the Ashes-winning campaign of 2005 scoring a 57 and 64*in the first Test at the Lord’s. England lost the first match, however, ensured a fantastic series victory with a drawn 5th Test at the Oval. KP made a memorable maiden Test hundred in this match; his knock of 158 ensured a draw and England won the series 2-1 regaining the Ashes after 16 years. This moment holds a huge significance for England. KP has played 104 Test matches and scored 8181 runs at an average of 47.28. Currently, he is out of the English side, however, hasn’t yet announced his retirement from any form of the game. 3. Hashim Amla – 25: Hashim Amla. (© Getty Images) The South African run machine has been scoring centuries with ease for the last five years. A gifted batsman, his subtle wrists, and compact back-foot allow him to stand up tall and play delightful strokes on either side of the wicket. A batting average of above 50 in Test and ODI cricket proves his class and consistency. A batting average of above 50 in Test and ODI cricket proves his class and consistency. Amla has thus far appeared in 92 Tests and scored 7358 runs which has a huge contribution from his 25 hundreds and 29 fifties. Amla made his Test debut against India at Kolkata in 2004. He scored his maiden Test century two years later against the Kiwis at Cape Town after which he established himself in the team. Unwavering concentration has enabled him to become one of the best batsmen in the world. His knock of 311* against England, at The Oval in 2012, remains the only triple century by a South African in Test cricket. 2. Alastair Cook – 29: Alastair Cook. (© Getty Images) England’s Test captain Alastair Cook is at number 2 with 29 Test tons. Cook holds the record for most runs and centuries for an English batsman in Test cricket. A veteran of 131 Tests he has scored 10446 runs at an average of 47.48. A remarkable achievement considering he is just 31 years old. A technically sound opening batsman, Cook has scored runs in all conditions and been a champion batsman for his team. He scored a Test century on debut against India at Nagpur in 2006 and gave a glimpse of his immense talent. Once set at the crease Cook is a difficult batsman to dislodge. He has great powers of concentration and is adept against pace and spin alike. With age on his side, he is bound to break many more batting records. 1. Younis Khan – 31: Younis Khan. (© Getty Images) At the top of the list is Pakistan’s highest run scorer in Test cricket, Younis Khan. One of his country’s greatest ever, Younis responds best in adversity and has been his side’s batting mainstay since several years. He is also the oldest Test batsman to score 9000 Test runs. A record of 9203 runs from 106 matches at an average of 53.19 confirms his status as a modern day great. He scored a brilliant century on Test debut against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi in the year 2000; a dramatic match which the islanders won by 2 wickets. His batting technique is bottom hand dominated and when he gets going he produces results in the face of great odds. The 38-year old has got better with age and is a wonderful batsman to watch when in full flow. Pakistan will hope he continues his great work for a few more years and guides its young batting team to greater success. Also read – Top 10 Batsmen With Most Centuries In International Cricket (All stats updated till 2nd August 2016)

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Top 10 Current batsmen with most Test centuries

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