Even though everyone is watching the IPL, the cricket fans have an eye on the Test Series between India and Australia in December. Everybody enjoys the shortest format and all but the real test is in the longest format which is played over five days. As a batsman, if you score runs in Test cricket then you get respect from your opponent.
Test cricket is a hard nut to crack, it tests your patience, stamina, mindset, and whatnot. You have to be at your best while playing the longest format and some batsmen have managed to do that consistently. There are some batsmen who just keep scoring runs at the highest level against high-quality bowlers across conditions. Who are these batsmen who have had the highest rating points in Test history? Let’s have a look at the top five.
5. Ricky Ponting – 942
Ricky Ponting who is currently coaching the Delhi Capitals in the IPL has been a legend for the Australian team. He is fifth on this list with 942 points. He achieved this rating in 2006 when he was on a roll with the bat in hand.
He had scored tons of runs in a couple of years before that. Ponting has scored 13378 runs at an average of 51.9 which included 41 centuries. He is not only one of the best batsmen but also a great captain for Australia.
4. Sir Jack Hobbs – 942
Sir Jack Hobbs is fourth on the list with the same number of rating points as Ricky Ponting. He reached this number way back in 1911-1912 when he had a highly successful Ashes series.
In 61 matches, Sir Jack Hobbs scored 5410 runs at an average of 61.9 which included 15 centuries to his name. He is also considered the greatest first-class cricketer in the history of the game.
3. Sir Leonard Hutton – 945
Sir Leonard Hutton achieved a rating of 945 points which is just three more than Ricky Ponting and Sir Jack Hobbs. He achieved this towards the end of his career when he had some fantastic performances in the 1954-1955 Ashes.
Sir Hutton scored 6971 runs in 79 matches with 19 tons to his name. He had the highest score in Test cricket 364 a record which he held for almost two decades. He is the only English cricketer on this list.
2. Steve Smith – 947
Steve Smith is currently the best Test batsman in the world across conditions. He has taken his batting to a different level. The consistency is unmatchable as teams just don’t have an answer against him. So far in his Test career, he has scored 7227 runs in 73 Tests at an average of 62.84 which includes 26 centuries.
He reached this rating in 2017 when he had a dream Ashes. In 2019, when he came back after his ban, he had another dream Ashes where he scored 687 runs in 7 innings at an average of 137.4. The England bowlers had no idea how to get him out. He will be looking forward to scoring a lot of runs against India in the Australian summer.
1. Sir Donald Bradman – 961
Was there any doubt as to who was going to be at the top of this list? Sir Donald Bradman who was also known as the Don with a batting average of 99.94 in Test cricket has to be the best Test batsmen in the history of cricket. He has scored 6996 runs in 52 Test matches with 29 centuries and 12 double centuries and 2 triple centuries.
Sir Bradman reached the highest rating in 1948 against India when he scored 715 runs in five Test matches. There is very little chance of anyone breaking this record and that’s why Sir Bradman is the greatest of all time.
