The fans have seen several batters making waves in the competitive era by letting their performances do the talking. Among the active cricketers, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root have set great examples by leading the batting attack of their respective teams.
Case in point, piling up runs and being successful in Test cricket is not that easy. The red ball used in this format is literally challenging compared to the white ball used in the limited-overs. As a result, the batters find it tough to face the fast bowlers, particularly in the initial stages.
At the same time, it is imperative for the batsmen to possess important qualities such as concentration, focus, and mental endurance such that they can play carrying knocks and help the team. In this article, let’s go through the three active players who scored the most runs in Test cricket.
1. Joe Root
England international Joe Root comes first on the list as he is the leading run-scorer in Test cricket among the active cricketers. It is worth mentioning here that he has aggregated 11416 runs at an impressive batting average of 50.29 in 102 Tests. Overall, he has scored 30 centuries, he hit 5 double centuries and 60 half-centuries.
2. Steve Smith
Steve Smith has truly been the best batsman for Australia in Test cricket. Notably, he is widely regarded as the best Test batsman in the current era and his recent batting recitals serve as a testament to this fact. During the second Test against England in the Ashes 2023 series at Lord’s, he reached the landmark of 9,000 runs. He is the second-leading run-scorer among the active players in international cricket with 9320 runs at an average of 58.62. Overall, he scored 32 centuries, 4 double centuries and 39 fifties.
3. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is currently the best batter across all three formats of the game. The right-handed batsman is the third-leading run-scorer among the active players. Overall, he scored 8676 runs in Tests including 7 double tons, 29 centuries and 29 fifties and has maintained a batting average of 49.3.
Updated as of August 18, 2023*
