Test cricket, the oldest and most traditional format of cricket, officially began in 1877 with the first recognized Test match played between England and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). This inaugural match took place from March 15 to 19, 1877, with Australia winning the match. The term “Test” refers to the rigorous exam of teams’ skill and endurance, as matches typically last up to five days, with each team playing two innings. The famous Ashes rivalry between England and Australia began shortly after in 1882, establishing one of cricket’s most iconic series. Since then, Test cricket has evolved with various changes but remains the pinnacle format of the sport, emphasizing strategy, resilience, and endurance.
There are currently nine full member teams of the International Cricket Council (ICC) that play Test cricket
Here is information on Test playing teams and the approximate number of Test matches they have played up to 2025
- England: Around 460 matches
- Australia: Around 390 matches
- India: Around 390 matches
- South Africa: Around 320 matches
- New Zealand: Around 330 matches
- Sri Lanka: Around 310 matches
- Pakistan: Around 300 matches
- West Indies: Around 320 matches
- Bangladesh: Around 290 matches
- Ireland: 6 matches
- Afghanistan: 6 matches
- Zimbabwe: 7 matches
These figures represent the cumulative number of Test matches played from the inception of Test cricket in 1877 (close to the request timeframe starting in 1887) to the present day. It is worth noting that newer Test nations like Bangladesh, Ireland, and Afghanistan have played fewer matches since gaining Test status more recently. The number of matches reflects both historical and modern scheduling, encompassing the full international Test match calendar.
The top 20 Test cricket run-scorers of all time are led by:
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 15,921 runs
- Joe Root (England) – 13,543 runs (recently surpassed Ricky Ponting)
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 13,378 runs
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 13,289 runs
- Rahul Dravid (India) – 13,288 runs
- Alastair Cook (England) – 12,472 runs
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 12,400 runs
- Brian Lara (West Indies) – 11,953 runs
- Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) – 11,867 runs
- Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 11,814 runs
- Allan Border (Australia) – 11,174 runs
- Steve Waugh (Australia) – 10,927 runs
- Steve Smith (Australia) – 10,350 runs
- Sunil Gavaskar (India) – 10,122 runs
- Younis Khan (Pakistan) – 10,099 runs
- Hashim Amla (South Africa) – 9,282 runs
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand) – 9,276 runs
- Graeme Smith (South Africa) – 9,265 runs
- Virat Kohli (India) – 9,230 runs
- Graham Gooch (England) – 8,900 runs
These players represent the elite in Test batting, having amassed the most runs over their careers with averages commonly above 45. Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs with 15,921 scored in 200 Test matches, making him the highest run-scorer in Test cricket history.
The top 20 highest individual scores in a single Test cricket inning
- Brian Lara (West Indies) – 400* vs England, 2004
- Matthew Hayden (Australia) – 380 vs Zimbabwe, 2003
- Brian Lara (West Indies) – 375 vs England, 1994
- Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 374 vs South Africa, 2006
- Wiaan Mulder (South Africa) – 367* vs Zimbabwe, 2025
- Garfield Sobers (West Indies) – 365* vs Pakistan, 1958
- Len Hutton (England) – 364 vs Australia, 1938
- Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) – 340 vs India, 1997
- Hanif Mohammad (Pakistan) – 337 vs West Indies, 1958
- Wally Hammond (England) – 336* vs New Zealand, 1933
- David Warner (Australia) – 335* vs Pakistan, 2019
- Mark Taylor (Australia) – 334* vs Pakistan, 1998
- Don Bradman (Australia) – 334 vs England, 1930
- Graham Gooch (England) – 333 vs India, 1990
- Chris Gayle (West Indies) – 333 vs Sri Lanka, 2010
- Michael Clarke (Australia) – 329* vs India, 2012
- Inzamam-ul-Haq (Pakistan) – 329 vs New Zealand, 2002
- Andy Sandham (England) – 325 vs West Indies, 1930
- Virender Sehwag (India) – 319 vs South Africa, 2008
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 319 vs Bangladesh, 2014
Brian Lara’s unbeaten 400 runs against England in 2004 remains the highest individual score in Test cricket history. Recently, in 2025, Wiaan Mulder of South Africa scored an unbeaten 367, among the top five highest individual scores ever recorded in Tests.
The top 20 Test cricket players with the most centuries are:
- Sachin Tendulkar (India) – 51 centuries
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 45 centuries
- Ricky Ponting (Australia) – 41 centuries
- Joe Root (England) – 39 centuries
- Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) – 38 centuries
- Steven Smith (Australia) – 36 centuries
- Rahul Dravid (India) – 36 centuries
- Younis Khan (Pakistan) – 34 centuries
- Sunil Gavaskar (India) – 34 centuries
- Brian Lara (West Indies) – 34 centuries
- Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) – 34 centuries
- Kane Williamson (New Zealand) – 33 centuries
- Alastair Cook (England) – 33 centuries
- Steve Waugh (Australia) – 32 centuries
- Matthew Hayden (Australia) – 30 centuries
- Virat Kohli (India) – 30 centuries
- Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies) – 30 centuries
- AB de Villiers (South Africa) – 27 centuries
- Graeme Smith (South Africa) – 27 centuries
- Allan Border (Australia) – 27 centuries
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the most Test centuries with 51 during his career spanning from 1989 to 2013. Other greats like Jacques Kallis, Ricky Ponting, and Joe Root follow closely with high centuries counts, showcasing their long-lasting excellence in Test cricket.
The top 20 leading wicket-takers in Test cricket history are as follows:
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 800 wickets in 133 matches
- Shane Warne (Australia) – 708 wickets in 145 matches
- James Anderson (England) – 704 wickets in 188 matches
- Anil Kumble (India) – 619 wickets in 132 matches
- Stuart Broad (England) – 604 wickets in 167 matches
- Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 563 wickets in 124 matches
- Ravichandran Ashwin (India) – 537 wickets in 106 matches
- Nathan Lyon (Australia) – 539 wickets in 134 matches
- Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 519 wickets in 132 matches
- Dale Steyn (South Africa) – 439 wickets in 93 matches
- Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 414 wickets
- Malcolm Marshall (West Indies) – 376 wickets
- Makhaya Ntini (South Africa) – 390 wickets
- Kapil Dev (India) – 434 wickets
- Bishan Singh Bedi (India) – 266 wickets
- Harbhajan Singh (India) – 417 wickets
- Andy Roberts (West Indies) – 202 wickets
- Pat Cummins (Australia) – 340+ wickets (active player)
- Vernon Philander (South Africa) – 224 wickets
- Jason Holder (West Indies) – 200+ wickets (active player)
Muttiah Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history with 800 wickets. Shane Warne and James Anderson hold the second and third spots respectively. Among Indian bowlers, Anil Kumble leads with 619 wickets, followed by Ravichandran Ashwin. This list includes some of the greatest pace and spin bowlers in the history of the game.
The top records for most wickets taken by a player in a single Test innings are:
- Jim Laker (England) – 10 wickets for 53 runs vs Australia, 1956
- Anil Kumble (India) – 10 wickets for 74 runs vs Pakistan, 1999
- Ajaz Patel (New Zealand) – 10 wickets for 119 runs vs India, 2021
These three bowlers are the only players to have taken all 10 wickets in a single Test innings, an extraordinary and very rare achievement.
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – best innings of 9/51
- Shane Warne (Australia) – best innings of 8/71
- Stuart Broad (England) – best innings of 8/15
- Glenn McGrath (Australia) – best innings of 8/24
- Nathan Lyon (Australia) – best innings of 8/50
The feat of taking 10 wickets in a single innings stands as one of the pinnacles of bowling performance in Test cricket history. Jim Laker’s 19 wickets in the match that includes his perfect 10-wicket innings remains the best match bowling figures in Test cricket.
The top 20 Test cricket players by most wickets taken
The top 20 Test cricket players by most wickets taken in a single Test match are as follows (best match figures included):
- Jim Laker (England) – 19 wickets for 90 runs vs Australia, 1956
- Sydney Barnes (England) – 17 wickets for 159 runs
- Narendra Hirwani (India) – 16 wickets for 136 runs vs West Indies, 1988
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 16 wickets for 220 runs
- Fred Trueman (England) – 15 wickets for 104 runs
- Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) – 15 wickets for 123 runs
- Anil Kumble (India) – 14 wickets for 149 runs
- Alec Bedser (England) – 14 wickets for 145 runs
- Derek Underwood (England) – 14 wickets for 149 runs
- Shane Warne (Australia) – 14 wickets for 186 runs
- Bob Massie (Australia) – 16 wickets for 137 runs
- Pat Cummins (Australia) – 14 wickets for 144 runs
- Charlie Llewellyn (South Africa) – 13 wickets for 121 runs
- Tom Richardson (England) – 13 wickets for 145 runs
- England vs Australia 1896 (Unattributed) – 13 wickets
- Alfred Shaw (England) – 12 wickets for 76 runs
- George Lohmann (England) – 15 wickets for 45 runs
- Bruce Taylor (New Zealand) – 12 wickets for 85 runs
- Bill O’Reilly (Australia) – 13 wickets for 144 runs
- Jack Saunders (Australia) – 12 wickets for 85 runs
Jim Laker’s 19 wickets in the 1956 Test against Australia remains the best bowling performance in a single Test match. Narendra Hirwani’s 16 wickets on debut and Muralitharan’s 16 wickets also are key highlights. The list features some of the greatest bowlers in Test history from various eras and countries.