5 potential candidates to make 10,000 runs in Test cricket

Here are the five potential batsmen who can make 10,000 runs in Tests.

There have been 13 batsmen so far in the history of Test cricket to have made 10,000 or more runs in the format. India’s Sunil Gavaskar was the first to make 10,000 runs in 1987 and was surpassed by Allan Border, who held onto the record for most runs (11174) for quite some time until Brian Lara broke it.

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However, it was Sachin Tendulkar who ended up as the highest run-getter in the format with 15921 runs in 200 Tests from 1989-2013. Right now in the current scene of batting, there are five potential batsmen who can end up with 10,000 plus runs in the Test matches and Team COC has picked those options for your consideration.

Here are 5 potential candidates to make 10,000 Test runs

BABAR AZAM (PAK)

Babar Azam is the youngest in this list, both in terms of age and experience. The Lahore-born batsman is just 25 years old and has started on a good note so far with 1580 runs in 26 Test matches to his name. He has scored 5 centuries and 13 fifties at an average of 45.12 and the best score of 143.

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Azam is widely considered to be one of the most eye-catching batsmen in the modern era and his effortless shots are something to behold of. His recent showing in the second Test match at the Adelaide Oval where he slammed 97 and his 104 in Brisbane Test previously have put him in contention to be added to the fab four and make it the fab five.

KANE WILLIAMSON (NZ)

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson made his Test debut in 2010 and scored a century against India at Ahmedabad. Since then, he has made a name for himself for being one of the fab four of the modern era with Joe Root, Steve Smith, and Virat Kohli, for being the best in the business right now. He has played 80 Tests and made 6476 runs with 21 centuries and 32 half-centuries at an average of 50.99 and the best score of 242*.

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He by far is the best batsman that Kiwis have to offer in the five-day format and is widely regarded as many the best of all-time from New Zealand, even surpassing the likes of late Martin Crowe, Brendon McCullum, Andrew Jones, and Ross Taylor. He is still 29 years old and with 7-8 years of cricket left in him, he can easily go past the 10,000-run mark in Tests.

JOE ROOT (ENG)

Joe Root has the most runs in Test cricket at the moment out of the fab four with 7599 runs in 92 Tests. He has made 17 centuries and 48 half-centuries to his name at an average of 48.40 with the highest score of 254. At just 29 years old, Root has all the makings of someone, who might go onto make 10,000 plus runs for England in Tests.

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He might even give Alastair Cook a scare and come close to his tally of record 12472 runs in the five-day format. Root has a proper English batting technique which has given him the ability of scoring runs with ease. Root has shown the penchant for hitting big scores and scoring runs with patience in Tests and it’s something that might help him go a long way, especially that he has time to hone his craft, as he is not in England’s T20 plans.

STEVE SMITH (AUS)

Steve Smith started out as a leg-spinner and a potential replacement for Shane Warne in Tests. He made his Test debut in 2010 against Pakistan in England. However, he has gone on transforming himself as probably one of the greatest modern-day batsmen and surely the current greatest in Test cricket, as many concur.

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The 30-year-old has scored 7227 runs in 73 Tests at an average of 62.84 with 26 centuries and 29 fifties to his name with the best score of 239. He made his return to Test cricket after a year ban in Ashes 2019 and scored four centuries in four Tests he played including a double-century as well. Smith’s unusual batting stance and gameplay have put many bowlers off their plans.

His masterful century on a rank turner in Pune against India in 2017 is rated highly by Test purists and other than that, many of his innings against rivals England make for pretty good viewing as well. He is definitely on his way to making more than 10,000 runs in the format.  

VIRAT KOHLI (IND)

India’s Virat Kohli is probably the closest rival to Steve Smith in terms of scoring runs frequently. He has 7240 runs in 86 Tests with 27 centuries and 22 half-centuries to his name. He averages 53.62 with the best score of 254* since his debut in 2011. Kohli has become the best batsman produced by India in the current era and rightful heir to Sachin Tendulkar’s throne.

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He is third in the list of most centuries in international cricket behind Sachin (100) and Ponting (71), with 70 tons to his name and has already scored more than 11,000 runs in ODI cricket. He is also the highest run-getter in T20I cricket and is expected to make more than 10,000 runs in Test cricket as well, given that he has atleast 5 years of cricket left in him, he may end up much higher in the list of highest run-getters in Test cricket.