Top 3 fastest to 28 Test centuries by innings in International Cricket
Over the last decade or so, cricket has become a batter’s game. In the same time, many batting records have been broken, and one of the latest ones being the highest ODI total, set by England last month, scoring a whopping 498 in 50 overs. Bowlers, on the other hand, have had very little scope for innovations or growth in terms of technique. And this has often brought about the debate of whether or not the sport is losing a fair competition between bat and ball.
On that note, here are players with fewest number of innings to complete 28 centuries in Test cricket:
3. Steve Smith (Australia) – 153 innings
Smith is undoubtedly one of the best batters of the modern era in the longest format, and one of the most prolific batters of all time. As of now, he has scored 8,161 runs at an average of 60.45 in 153 innings and 87 matches. Smith is sixth on the list of batters with the highest average in Test cricket among players who have batted at least 20 innings, and first among active players. Smith completed 8,000 runs in Tests in 151 innings, which is the fewest number of innings taken by a player in the format to bring up the landmark. He brought up his 28th Test hundred on July 8 against Sri Lanka in Galle.
2. Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 144 innings
Tendulkar is also regarded by many as the best batter of all time, and is also a common name in many of the batting records. He scored 51 hundreds in Tests, which is the most for a player in the format and it took him 144 innings to score 28 Test tons.
Tendulkar made his debut in November 1989 and scored 15,921 runs in Tests, which is the most in the format. Tendulkar also has the most runs in ODI, with 18,426 runs in 463 matches. He is the only batter to score over 15,000 runs in Tests and ODI each.
- Don Bradman (Australia) – 72 innings
Sir Donald Bradman is regarded by many as the greatest batter of all time. Even after 73 years since his last Test match, he is still the holder of a number of batting records in the format.
Bradman scored a total of 29 hundreds in Tests with a top score of 334 and at a staggering average of 99.94. He also has two triple hundreds, which is the joint-highest in the format, and 12 double hundreds, which is the highest in Tests.Bradman is also the fastest to complete 6,000 runs in Test cricket, with 68 innings to achieve the milestone. He made his debut in November 1928 and finished with 6,996 runs in 52 matches before retiring in August 1948.
